НОВЫЕ ДАННЫЕ О СОСТАВЕ СТАДА У НАСЕЛЕНИЯ СРЕДНЕГО — ПОЗДНЕГО БРОНЗОВОГО ВЕКА В СЕВЕРО-ЗАПАДНОМ КРЫМУ

Abstract

The paper deals with the results of an archeo-zoological study of bone materials from a num- ber of newly discovered settlements in Northwestern Crimea (Tarkhankut-Н2, Tarkhankut-Н8, Tarkhankut-18 and Tarkhankut-22а). According to the available archaeological evidence and ra- diocarbon determinations obtained on bone remains from cultural layers and semi-closed assem- blages, the materials in question belong to the early stage of the Babino culture (Tarkhankut-18, Tarkhankut-22а) and to the Sabatinovka (Tarkhankut-Н2, Tarkhankut-22а) and Belozerka (Tarkhankut-Н8, Tarkhankut-18) cultures. In addition, the Tarkhankut-22а settlement yielded some Early Iron Age materials. Altogether, 1211 bones were studied, and 284 of them proved to be identifiable. An attempt is made to consider the herd composition in its dynamics: during the final stage of the Middle Bronze Age the herd was heavily dominated by cattle, followed by small ru- minants, while the percentage of horse remains was insignificant. The Late Bronze Age witnessed an increase in the numbers of small ruminants, and the presence of horse became perceptible in the final of the Bronze Age. The authors compare their data with the information available for the Middle and Late Bronze Age settlements of Crimea and the synchronous cultures of the North Black Sea region. The analyzed materials point to the existence of pastoral stockbreeding with stone architecture represented by livestock enclosures.