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Food Supply Strategies in the Romanian Eneolithic: Sheep/Goat Husbandry and Fishing Activities from Hârşova Tell and Borduşani-Popină (5th Millennium BC)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Stéphanie Bréhard ,
Valentin Radu ,
Alexis Martin ,
Pauline Hanot ,
Dragomir Popovici  and
Adrian Bălăşescu
Stéphanie Bréhard
Affiliation:
National History Museum of Romania, Romania CNRS – Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, France
Valentin Radu
Affiliation:
National History Museum of Romania, Romania
Alexis Martin
Affiliation:
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, France
Pauline Hanot
Affiliation:
CNRS – Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, France
Dragomir Popovici
Affiliation:
National History Museum of Romania, Romania
Adrian Bălăşescu
Affiliation:
National History Museum of Romania, Romania
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Abstract

Previously observed specialization in sheep/goat kill-off patterns from Romanian Eneolithic sites raises the question of a limited duration of the slaughtering period. In order to provide reliable month of death distribution for sheep/goats, the approach developed here takes into account uncertainties regarding the age-at-death and the month of birth, based on classic archaeozoological techniques. We show that sheep slaughtering rarely occurred from late spring to early autumn or from summer to mid-fall, both at Hârşova tell and Borduşani-Popină. Conversely, it is very likely that fishing activities took place primarily from spring to early autumn. This points to the existence of seasonal and complementary food supply strategies at both sites. Several possible explanations for these seasonal strategies are discussed. We also highlight the homogeneity in the management of domestic herds between the two sites, raising the question of a certain standardization in pastoral practices on a larger scale.

La spécialisation antérieurement constatée dans les profils d'abattage des chèvres/moutons sur les sites énéolithiques roumains soulève la question d'une durée limitée de la période d'abattage. Afin de fournir une distribution fiable du mois de la mise à mort pour les chèvres/moutons, l'approche présentée ici prend en compte les incertitudes concernant l'âge au moment de la mort et le mois de naissance, en se basant sur des techniques archéozoologiques classiques. Nous montrons qu'aussi bien au tell de Hârşova qu’à Borduşani-Popină, l'abattage des moutons eut rarement lieu entre la fin du printemps et le début de l'automne, ou entre l'été et le milieu de l'automne. Inversement, il est très probable que les activités de pêche ont principalement eu lieu du printemps jusqu'au début de l'automne. Ceci révèle l'existence de stratégies d'approvisionnement alimentaire saisonnières et complémentaires sur les deux sites. Plusieurs explications possibles à ces stratégies saisonnières sont examinées. Nous soulignons également l'homogénéité de la gestion des troupeaux domestiques sur les deux sites, soulevant ainsi la question d'une certaine standardisation des pratiques pastorales à plus grande échelle. Translation by Isabelle Gerges.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Die bereits früher beobachtete Spezialisierung beim Schlachten von Schafen und Ziegen in rumänischen Fundplätzen des Äneolithikums wirft die Frage nach einer begrenzten Dauer dieser Schlachtereignisse auf. Um verlässliche Daten bei der Ermittlung des Monats des Todes zu erzielen, berücksichtigt der hier angewendete Forschungsansatz Ungewissheiten bei der Ansprache des Sterbealters sowie des Geburtsmonats auf der Basis klassischer Methoden der Archäozoologie. Es wird gezeigt, dass im Tell von Hârşova wie auch in Borduşani-Popină das Schlachten von Schafen kaum zwischen spätem Frühjahr und Frühherbst bzw. zwischen Sommer und Mittelherbst erfolgte. Im Gegensatz dazu ist es sehr wahrscheinlich, dass Fischfang vorwiegend zwischen Frühling und Frühherbst durchgeführt wurde. Dies deutet auf die Existenz von jahreszeitlichen und einander ergänzenden Nahrungsversorgungsstrategien auf beiden Fundplätzen hin. Es werden weiterhin verschiedene mögliche Erklärungen für diese jahreszeitlichen Strategien diskutiert. Wir betonen zudem die Homogenität im Management der Haustierherden beider Plätze, was die Frage nach einem gewissen Grad an Standardisierung in der Weidewirtschaft in größerem Maße aufwirft. Translation by Heiner Schwarzberg.

Keywords

RomaniaGumelniţa cultureEneolithictellsheepgoatsfishage at deathseason of deathseasonalityRoumanieculture GumelniţaÉnéolithiquetellmoutonschèvrespoissonsâge de la mortsaison de la mortsaisonnalitéSüdostrumänienGumelniţa-KulturSchafeZiegenFischeSterbejahreszeitjahreszeitliche Strategien
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , 2014 , pp. 407 - 433
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 2014

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