The Bronze Age and Dacian Fauna from New Excavations at Pecica–“Șanţul Mare” / Fauna în epoca bronzului și epoca dacică în lumina noilor cercetări arheologice de la Pecica–“Șanţul Mare”

Abstract

Recent excavations at Pecica Şanţul Mare from 2006-2009 have produced a large and representativefaunal assemblage from Dacian and Bronze Age contexts. In both periods, livestock husbandry was by far themost important source of meat, with hunting and trapping game, fishing, and collecting mollusks contributingsecondarily. However, there are significant differences between Iron and Bronze Age animal economies.Dacian animal husbandry was centered on pig rearing. A substantial number of the pigs were sucklings,suggesting the presence of a relatively specialized, rapid-turnover husbandry system of locally produced meat.Smaller numbers of caprines and cattle were also raised, both being used primarily for meat rather than dairy, wool,or traction. Horses and chickens are infrequent. Few game mammals were consumed but there are a fair numberof fish, particularly carp, and many freshwater mussels.The Bronze Age population at Pecica were similarly reliant on animal husbandry, but were far less focusedon a single domesticate. In general, caprines were the most common livestock, followed closely by pigs andcattle. There is no evidence of specialized secondary products production. Large game hunting was moreimportant than in the Iron Age and fishing was less common. Several important changes occurred during theBronze Age occupation. More high value livestock are being produced in the earlier D/E habitation layers,particularly horses. Through time, smaller-bodied livestock like caprines and pigs become more common, asdo low-ranked wild resources.