Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 23. 1984-1985 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1987)

Tanulmányok – Abhandlungen - Choyke, A. M. – Bartosiewicz László: Animal exploitation and its relationship the bone deposition at Lovasberény-Mihályvár. p. 7–18.

A total of 5,800 bones were collected for analysis. In general, the bone was in excellent condition. The proportion of identifiable bone to unidentifiable decreased markedly by sieving. Implementation of this technique also had more of an effect on age class proportions and incidence of very small remains than on the proportions of animals of greatest economic importance (Bartosiewicz 1893). In general, the material from the pits does not look very different in terms of species from that of the houses or in between areas. Less than 20 of the pits contained no bone at all. However, given the way these features cross cut each other and older living areas it seems likely that part of the bone material should be regarded as secondary deposits. Two of the pits found in the smaller section near each other (pits 54 and 55) are worthy of brief comment, since the skewed nature of their contents strongly suggests (1) primary deposition and (2) special activity. Pit 54 contains 31 bones of which 29 are from cattle, 1 from pig (a mandible) and 1 from dog (a humerus). The 26 remaining cattle bones consist of 18 phalanges and 8 astragali, i.e., dense short bones from the dry limb redion. In a similar way, the 337 bones of Pit 55 are made up primarily of cattle (280) followed by horse (22) and a few bones of sheep/goat, pig, dog and unidentifiable scraps. Although this pit was identified by the excavators as a "sacrificial" pit the faunal evidence does not support this for the following reasons: 1. The "human" leg discovered there may be a misidentified, articulated tibia and metatarsal from cattle. 2. Biometrie calculations carried out on the 45 astragali found here suggest that the animals represented within do not come exclusively from any particular sex or age group (Bartosiewicz 1982, Bartosiewicz

—Choyke 1983). 3. The high number of cattle phalanges (202) and relatively high number of horse phalanges (15) in the same feature at a site where horse is rarely found plus the 45 cattle astragali all indicate that this pit was used to hold the refuse from some special activity associated with animal product processing, like tanning, skin drying or glue extraction. The absence of metapodials might be explained by the fact that these bones may also have been saved for marrow extraction. The absence of other tarsal bones matching the 45 cattle astragali is much more puzzling. In addition to these special features, probably the most distinguishing aspect of bone distribution at LovasberényMihályvár is not species or bone part (varying within species) but the variable density of bone over the site. Some proveniences provided hundreds of bone parts, others a few scattered scraps. In the following discussion we will review the distribution and condition of cattle, sheep/goat (i.e. caprines), domestic pig, horse, dog and red deer bones in detail. Proportions of these common animals are reflected back most directly on the species whose bones were used in tool manufacture (Table 1), but may also be recognized in the degree to which they are represented in the features (Table 2). Garbage Bone Cattle. The frequency of cattle bones is unusually high at this site. Although exactly half of the identified bones were attributed to cattle, a proportion between 30 and 40% would probably be nearer to mark. In general, the cattle are small in stature. BÖKÖNYI (1974) calculates the average withers height of Bronze Age cattle to have decreased 6 to 7 cm from their Neolithic period height of 127 cm (the size went even lower during the Iron Age). Flat bones of the skull, proximal scapula, and pelvis are the least well represented at about 10% of cattle remains. This is due to both differential preservation and prehistoric butchering patterns. Whole skulls occur in only two cases, both of immature individuals. While many vertebrae occur, only the atlas and axis (the first two cervical vertebrae) could be accurately identified to species. Mandible fragments make up 10.9% of the cattle bone parts. This high percentage is due to the durability of the bone coupled with its low meat, marrow and fat content. There were an equal number of teeth from both the upper and lower jaws. Another flat bone, the scapula, is represented at 4% mainly by fragments of the distal epiphysis which is easily separated from the shoulder without damage except occasionally to the tuberosity (GUILDAY 1971 ; BINFORD 1981). The proximal end of this bone is almost never found intact, first because it ossifies so late and second because it is normally damaged during dismemberment. While the acetabulum of the pelvis is frequently intact, the ilium and ischium are rarely attached. It has been reported that the pelvis is frequently smashed during dismemberment from the hind legs. Pelvis fragments make up 6.6% of the total cattle bone. Long bones from the meat-bearing parts of the skeleton, the humerus and femur are less well represented in the sample at 3.8 and 4.5% respectively. The diaphyses are mostly fractured for marrow. While dismemberment probably does not heavily affect the survival of the softer proximal epiphyses they are often gnawed away or less well preserved. The radio-cubitus makes up 6.6% of the cattle bones while tibia comprises 8.7%. The fibula in cattle is rudimentary and thus rarely recovered. All these long bones have a greater number of diagnostic features even on the diaphysis, which may slightly skew their representation upward. This is especially true in the case of radius and tibia. Both are regularly fractured for marrow. The metapodials make up 11.9 % of the sample. They were uniformly broken for marrow as well. Tarsal bones, that is the calcaneus, astragalus, and os centrotarsale make up 8.1%. The latter is rare, however. The former two are widely recognized as skeletal elements most frequently preserved on sites in general. The phalanges are unusually well represented at 25.5%, of which the gratest part came from a section which the archaeologists speculate was largely a workshop area. The hide is usually detached from the proximal end of the first phalange which may be returned with the hide after skinning. The hide being cured, the phalanges were disposed of at the spot. Pits 54 and 55 have already been discussed in this regard (Choyke—Bartosiewicz 1980/81). Although there are few surprises in the way bones are preserved it is worth mentioning those bones from which tools may be formed. Cattle bone is rarely made into „planned" 8