Folia archeologica 29.

Vörös István: A Biharugra-Földvárhalom bronzkori telep állatcsontleletei

ANIMAL BONES OF THE BRONZE AGE SETTLEMENT AT ВI

H A R U G R A - F О LD VÁ R H A L О M In 1974 at the Bronze Age settlement of Biharugra-Földvárhalom I. Ecsedy carried out a sondage excavation. The excavation yielded objects of the Ottomány culture population as well as kitchen midden consisting of bones of domestic and hunted animals. From the animal bone fragments (513 in number) 400 pieces (77,97%) can be defined osteologically and consequently classified into zoological species. The cattle was (with 31 individuals) the most frequent useful animal of the Ottomány population. The cattle stock consisted of types of the big-bodied primigenius and of the smaller-built brachyceros

, according to osteological data. The distribution of the osteological material according to body regions (Table 2) points to a local dismemberment, processing resp. ingestion of the cattle. 80,61% of the cattle individuals were slaughtered in an adult age. On the second place amond the useful animals stand the sheep with 19 specimens. As for the structure of the horn scores the sheep stock consisted of individuals of turbary sheep and copper sheep. The distribution of the osteological material according to body regions show (as in the case of the cattle) a local dismemberment resp. ingestion. 78,94% of the sheep individuals were slaughtered in an adult age. Among the small ruminants goat is represented by a young individual with an aegagrus-type horn core. The third most frequent domesticated animal was the pig with 13 individuals. The pig stock of the settlement consisted of big-sized individuals, characteristic for the Bronze Age. The distribution of the osteological material according to body regions (Table 2) points to the fact that pigs were not chopped up in the excavated part of the settlement, they were only ingested here. 53,84% of the individuals were slaughtered in an adult age, 35,46% in a juvenile age. The horse remains found in the excavated part of the settlement belonged to 7 individuals. They were parts worthless from the point of view of nourishment, as lower leg bones and phalanges. From the 7 individuals 6 were slaughtered in an adult age, one in a mature age. Five individuals of the small turbary spitz were represented only by their skull bones (Table 2). Among the hunted animals occurring at the Biharugra-Földvárhalom settlement there were 8 individuals of red deer, 5 of wild boar and 2 of roe-deer. From the distribution of the osteological remains of these three species (Table 2) it can be deduced that only the heads and fleshy of the big game, valuable as food, were brought to the settlement in the skin, with the feet ends adhering, whereas evisceration and dismemberment were carried out on the killing place. Among fur animals osteological remains of hare and beaver were found. The animal bone material of the Biharugra-Földvár settlement can be considered as kitchen midden. Vestiges of cutting, due to dismemberment of the animals are found yielding data for working methods of the period. Cut lesions