Kelemen Imola (szerk.): A Csíki Székely Múzeum Évkönyve 8. (Csíkszereda, 2012)

Régészet - Kelemen Imola: A Csíkszereda-Körösi Csoma Sándor utca középkori lelőhelyen előkerült állatcsontleletek archaeozoológiai vizsgálata

KELEMEN IMOLA

THE ARCHAEOZOOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ANIMAL BONES COMING FROM THE MEDIEVAL SITE AT MIERCUREA-CIUC-ACXRŐSI CSOMA SÁNDOR STREET

Abstract

In the 14th century house and near it, in a 16th century pit, identified at the archaeological investigation in 2006 at the Miercurea-Ciuc (Csíkszereda)-Xoró'sz’ Csorna Sándor Street site 494 animal bones were discovered, most of it being kitchen midden, often thrown to house pets (dogs and cats).

From the fragments discovered in the 14th century house 246 were determined down to the species. According to the average of the number of identified specimens and the minimal number of individuals the order of the species is the following: cattle, pig, sheep/goat, horse. Behind them follows the dog, and also appears the cat, red deer, roe dear and chicken. By the distribution of the individuals into age categories, cattle were kept for their primary products as well as for their secondary, while pigs and sheep/goats were mostly raised for their meat and cut down at a young age. Horse meat was probably not consumed. Around the 14th century house pets seem to have existed too, cats and dogs, and also poultry has been kept. In the life of this community, hunting has also probably played some role, suggested by a phalanx of a red deer and the antler of a roe deer. The two worked bone found in the material allow us to conclude the use of animals' hard material for the making of tools.

In the 16th century cesspit, far less fragments (39) were identified down to the species, so conclusion may be drawn very cautiously. It seems important though that poultry (chicken) bones appear here also and that the order of the main mammals is similar: cattle, pig, sheep/goat.

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