Interpreting Animal Bones in Iran: Considering New Animal Bone Assemblages from Three Sites in the Qazvin Plain within a Broader Geographical and Chronological Perspective

Abstract

This paper presents the preliminary analyses and interpretations of animal bone assemblages from three Chalcolithic sites in the Qazvin Plain, Iran. The results of our analyses are then compared to existing analyses from earlier excavations at two of these sites. While there are some similarities between the earlier and later assemblages and analyses, there are also interesting differences. However, issues with dating, excavation and sample collection, as well as sample size from each site meant that analysing each assemblage in detail and linking this analysis to detailed context information has not been possible. Therefore a wider trawl for studies of animal bones from prehistoric sites in a variety of environmental settings in Iran has been carried out in order to determine whether there are broader, longer term trends in human-animal relationships that our Qazvin Plain sites may have been part of. We have looked at animal bone data from a number of prehistoric sites in order to see whether there are any major trends in animal management which might be linked to such things as chronological period, environmental setting, site function and so forth, within which our Qazvin Plain sites can be placed. From the data we consider there are no such trends apparent. Finally, we consider issues of pastoralism in Iran, and are particularly concerned with the suggestion that high numbers of sheep and goat in an assemblage is an indicator of pastoral mobility.