Vadas Ferenc (szerk.): A Szekszárdi Béri Balogh Ádám Múzeum Évkönyve 13. (Szekszárd, 1986)

László Bartosiewicz–Alice M. Choyke: Animal exploitation at the site of Csabdi–Télizöldes

Animal exploitation at the site of Csabdi-Télizöldes LÁSZLÓ BARTOSIEWICZ - ALICE M. CHOYKE, BUDAPEST The Late Neolithic site of Csabdi-Télizöldes is to be found in the northeastern corner of Fejér county in Transdanubia, where it abutts Komárom county some four km north of the village of Csabdi. Material used in this study comes only from the Fejér county sections of a large site complex which lies on long southeastern slopes of the Gerecse mountains and is spread over an area traditionally called MolnárfÖldek. The site itself probably forms part of a complex of overlapping prehistoric habitations, its estimated area covering approximately one and a half square kilometers. The altitude of the area under discussion ranges between 150 to 200 meters above the Adriatic sea level. A small stream called Szent László viz runs northwest to southeast along the western side of the excavated area. In 1977 the discovery of numerous artifacts and graves was followed by an intensive field survey and subsequent rescue excavations in 1978. Research began in the western section of the site on top of one of the elevations which is bordered by a steep slope on its western side parallel with the stream, but forms a long plateau toward the east where the rest of the settlement may be found. The single habitation layer of the site predominantly yielded sherds characteristic of the ceramic style of the Lengyel culture which chronologically belongs to the end of the Neolithic. The settlement at Csabdi-Télizöldes, however, represents an early phase of this culture which spread over the western half of what is known today Hungary, between 2800 and 2500 B. C. The vast majority of faunal remains should be regarded as refuse material from local prehistoric foraging activities. Due to the large quantity of discarded animal bones it becomes worthwhile to use them as one of the primary evidence of the everyday management of environmental resources. The bulk of this material may reasonably be thought of as kitchen refuse as is shown by heavy fragmentation which is partly the result of poor preservation, but unquestionably is related to intentionel breakage as well. Intensive butchering is a well known phenomenon at other sites of this culture such as the settlement of Pécsvárad-Aranyhegy as reported by Bökönyi (1961). Animal bones from the largest, western part of the settlement have already been studied from a taphonomic point of view. In spite of the four main effects to which the potential over-representation of large mammalian remains may be attributed, bone distribution patterns in features and the culture bearing layer of this site suggest that large domesticates and game animals were a major resource of animal protein (Bartosiewicz 1983). 181