Folia archeologica 31.

István Vörös: Zoológiai és palaeoökonómiai vizsgálatok a korai neolitikus Körös kultúra archaeozoologiai anyagán

ARCHAEOZOOI.OGIA 43 by all means flayed before cutting up. The metapodii remained in the skin during the flaying of the animals as the aids of the process. Metapodii were often used as bone implements of various purposes, too. On the basis of the resected forelegs and hind legs, the great number of metapodii, the absolute lack of the carpus-tarsus bones we can verify that the small ruminants were slaughtered and cut off either in the unexcavated part of the settlement or outside of the settlement. The distribution of the bones of small ruminants according to somatic regions in the three excavated areas (1 house and 2 pits) of Szajol-Felsőföld is significantly different; the bones of the dry limb region (metapodii) were accumulated mostly in the house while the bones of the head region were found mostly in Pit 1. At Szajol-Felsőföld the calibrated useful amount of meat produced by the different age groups of 131 individuals of small ruminants is 2610 kgs, which means only 18,24 per cent of the whole useful quantity of meat produced by all the mammals found at the settlement. The age group distribution of either small ruminant bones or of the individuals in the settlements of the Körös Culture is unknown in the literature. We know only the great quantity of bones of young and subadult animals.

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0 At Szajol-Felsőföld 3,05 per cent of the small ruminant individuals was killed and eaten as neonatal, 16,80 per cent as infantile, 18,33 per cent as juvenile, 27,48 per cent as subadult, 33,58 per cent as adult and 0,76 per cent as mature. 65,66 per cent of the stock of small ruminants was eaten before the animals reached their breeding season. It would be a strong indication for their utilization as meat supply unless we suppose that the primary case of the killing was to get fur from the young animals. The percental changes in the age survival of the small ruminants however suggest that the mortality of infantile animals (lambs) was presumably controlled. The kill off pattern of the small ruminants at Szajol-Felsőföld can be identified with Payne's A and С models

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1 completing the interpretation of Payne's A model with the assumption that the primary aim of the killing of animals was to get fur and the utilization of their flesh was only of secondary importance. The fur and meat utilization kill off pattern of small ruminants (model A) can be reconstructed unambiguously in the settlements of the Körös Culture. The utilization of the fur and skin of domestic small ruminant animals and generally of mammals is scarcely discussed perhaps because either the use of skin and fur for clothing and covering buildings etc. is regarded as quite natural or because we have no concrete data (finds) supporting it. In my opinion at the time of the Körös Culture the primary economic value of small ruminants was the utilization of fur and the consumption of flesh was only of secondary importance. Though the skin surface of the small ruminants is small, its dressing is easy. 4

0 Id., op.cit. 1954. 10.; 1964. 91.; 1974. 167. 4

1 Payne, S., Kill-off patterns in sheep and goats. The mandibles from Asvan Kale. Anatolian Stud. 23(1973) 281-303.