Beaver as proof of the change of natural environment and economy of the first half of the 10th century AD

Abstract

The collapse of the Great Moravian early medieval fortified centre at Pohansko near Břeclav triggered some changes. These changes became evident in the development of the alluvial plain environment, as well as in the settlement, subsistence, and economic strategies of the population. One particularly prominent phenomenon was an unprecedented increase in the proportion of hunted animals appearing in osteological assemblages from the 10th century AD. They were found among the features and the cultural layers of the former northeastern suburbium of the Great Moravian centre at Pohansko and a new settlement known as Břeclav-Na Včelách. Remains of the European beaver (Castor fiber) predominate or are strongly represented among the wild species, which might be the result of specialised hunting or even breeding. The joint analysis by palynologists, archaeobotanists and archaeozoologists seeks to explain the significant presence of a specific species in terms of the evolution of the natural environment and the economy.