What's behind the tell phenomenon? An archaeozoological approach of Eneolithic sites in Romania
Résumé
This article is concerned with the Eneolithic period in southeastern Europe, which
corresponds to a phase of increasing social complexity. We demonstrate that the development
of a new type of settlement, the tell site, which in southeastern Romania fully began with the
Gumelniţa culture, was accompanied by changes in the meat component of the diet. The 39
available faunal spectra are processed by correspondence analyses; this shows that the
homogeneity that characterized the previous cultures (Hamangia and Boian) was followed by
a greater diversity in animal exploitation systems in the Gumelniţa culture. The main change
is the important role that large game played for some Gumelniţa communities (the favored
species varied). However, variability existed within the domestic species as well. This may
result from the interaction between several possible factors (e.g. new husbandry techniques,
complex socio-economic relations between the sites, a great social value given to wild
mammals). This diversity contrasts with the homogeneity of the pastoral practices developed
for sheep (and, to a lesser extent, for cattle) at the Gumelniţa tell sites (reliable kill-off
patterns were established for five sites). We also show that sheep exploitation was specialized.
Given that this kind of specialized exploitation became the norm from the Gumelniţa period,
we propose that the appearance of homogeneous and specialized practices for sheep is linked
to the development of tell sites. More generally, certain standardization in pastoral practices
during the Gumelniţa period is possible. For three tell sites, it is likely that the youngest sheep
and goats died mainly elsewhere; we suggest that these settlements were parts of larger
pastoral systems, on a local or regional scale, and that places or sites with complementary
functions existed.
Domaines
Archéologie et PréhistoireOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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