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Zwierzęce szczątki kostne z wielokulturowego stanowiska archeologicznego w miejscowości Górzec, stan. 13, pow. strzeliński, woj. dolnośląskie, Polska

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Chrószcz A., Janeczek M., Gralak T.

Przegląd Archeologiczny

2014

vol. 62

71-124

The paper presents an analysis of bone remains from the settlement in Górzec, the site 13, in the Strzelin county. They were described within four distinct chronological horizons:1. the Lusatian culture (the V period of the Bronze Age), 2. the La Tène culture (the La Tène period, LTC1 phase), 3. the Przeworsk culture (the Migration Period, D1 phase), 4. the Middle Ages (the 12th and 13th centuries). The aim of the study was to identify the species of bone remains, and if possible to determine the age, height at withers and sex of the animal from which the remains came as well as identification of traces of human activity and a description of pathological changes observed in the bone material. On this basis, attempts were made to determine the origins of the analysed animal bones and the role of animals in economy as well as to reconstruct a probable human diet and the role and percentage of wild animals. Archaeozoological research has also became the basis for an attempt to reconstruct changes of the environment and partly of the landscape, too. Human beings, with the increase of their capabilities, modified the environment so as to it met their needs. The human activity was the source of changes in the environment. It seems that with the passage of time a destruction of areas of deciduous forests took place and the forests had been replaced by cultivated fields and meadows. The analyses have resulted in founding several characteristic phenomena in animal production at the site 13 in Górzec throughout history: 1. Most of the bone remains derived from domestic animals and they were post-consumer remnants, and except from the earliest period of the settlement they were dominated by cattle. 2. From the La Tène period, the level of agricultural production increased enough to supply feeding stuffs to the extent that it was possible to overwinter a basic livestock. 3. Wild animals were of only peripheral interest to the local community. 4. In the early period of the settlement, probable use of fur and meat of dormice has been noticed, which, however, completely vanished in the early Middle Ages. 5. Cattle breeding was primarily focused on the use of cattle for dairy production (milk and milk derivatives) and with the passing of time a modification of the model has been observed, involving the growth in the meat production while maintaining milk production. 6. The use of draught cattle had not left typical traces on the bone material, which may indicate that it was not too intense and did not play a leading role in the use of the cattle. 7. Bone remains of pigs as well as sheep and goats had been taking interchangeably the second or third place thorough the history of the settlement in Górzec, with the exception of the earliest period (possible forest grazing of pigs). 8. In the case of small ruminants (sheep and goats), the transition has been observed from a quite versatile production model, though largely aimed on meat production, to a specialized model focused on meat production. 9. The diversification of sources of animal protein has been observed, which manifests itself in the use of dairy cattle, the specialization of small ruminants breeding in the direction of the meat production, the increase of the percentage of pigs and poultry. It appears that the latter was bred mainly for eggs. 10. The characteristic feature of the site in Górzec is that the qualitative and quantitative analyses of bone remains have provided results which place it between typically “urban” character of big-city sites like Opole or Wrocław, and other smaller, typically “rural” centres from Lower Silesia.

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1 Przegląd Archeologiczny

1 2014

1 Chrószcz A.

1 Gralak T.

1 Janeczek M.

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Zwierzęce szczątki kostne z wielokulturowego stanowiska archeologicznego w miejscowości Górzec, stan. 13, pow. strzeliński, woj. dolnośląskie, Polska