Remains of Birds from the Northwest Black Sea Ancient Settlements

Abstract

ABSTRACT The article presents the results of the identification of 1051 bird remains from the ancient layers of the 12 settlements from the Northern Black Sea coast. Zooarchaeological finds described in the work date to the sixth century BC through the fourth century AD. The data allowed researchers to specify features of bird exploitation by the inhabitants of the region. In particular, we established that, hunted birds dominated over domestic species in the diet of inhabitants of large settlements. However, previous publications on the results of mammalian studies suggested that hunting did not play a significant role, but was rather an entertainment. We also found that the inhabitants of small settlements consumed more poultry than wild species of birds. The earlier reports about the discovery of pheasant's remains in the ancient layers of the Northern Black Sea Coast were refuted. The report presents the bone of the chicken with osteopetrosis, which appears as the most eastern evidence of the disease in the archaeological records in Europe. Some changes were discovered in the avifauna. The primary changes took place during the Hellenistic time (350–200 BC), when the region experienced a reduction in species diversity. We assume that the changes in fauna are a consequence of the climatic shifts which took place in the Roman Warm Period.