From Bukhara to Samarkand along the Silk Road. Preliminary archaeozoological results of Iskijkat and Mingtepa during the Early Medieval Period - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2022

From Bukhara to Samarkand along the Silk Road. Preliminary archaeozoological results of Iskijkat and Mingtepa during the Early Medieval Period

Résumé

Many archaeological and historical studies have been conducted on the Silk Roads. However, some aspects of research remain poorly documented. In particular, the subsistence economy and the management of animal resources of populations established along these routes from the Antiquity to the medieval periods (300 BC to 1600 AD) have been largely unexplored. Dietary habits, herding strategies, manufacture of bones artifacts, etc. are essential for understanding the processes and interactions that were taking place, as they reflect the natural, cultural and economic heritage of the Eurasian communities. In addition, these human practices characterize the relationship of individuals with their ecological environment and reflect the changing political context and ideological choices. This talk will present the first archaeozoological data from the Sogdian cities of Iskijkat (Bukhara) and Mingtepa (Samarkand) collected with the support of Samarkand Institute of Archaeology, the Louvre Archaeological Mission and the Japanese Archaeological Mission in Uzbekistan. This study is based on the first author’ PhD project dealing with the human nutrition and management of animal resources in the Zerafshan Valley in Uzbekistan. Domestic species are largely predominant. Sheep, goats and cattle were the main herded animals. Two species native to East Asia, the pig and the chicken, were also represented. The remains of pack animals such as horses, donkeys and their hybrids as well as camelids were identified. These may have been also consumed. In addition, remains of commensal animals like dogs and rats were also present in the assemblages. Finally, some wild taxa such as gazelle, deer and hare were hunted but in very limited quantities. This preliminary study shows that domestic animals were extensively used for food, raw materials and transport. Further isotopic analyses will be carried out to identify the breeding sites and movements of the animals.
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Dates et versions

hal-04036406 , version 1 (19-03-2023)

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  • HAL Id : hal-04036406 , version 1

Citer

D. Decruyenaere, R. Rante, A. Begmatov, U. Tomoyuki, H. Rakhmonov, et al.. From Bukhara to Samarkand along the Silk Road. Preliminary archaeozoological results of Iskijkat and Mingtepa during the Early Medieval Period. ASWA Archaeozoology of SouthWest Asia and Adjacent Areas, Nov 2022, Tokyo, Japan. ⟨hal-04036406⟩
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