Environment and Subsistence Economies at Iron Age Ulug-depe, South-eastern Turkmenistan: First Results from the Archaeobotanical and Archaeozoological Studies

Description

First results of the botanical and faunal remains analysis from Iron Age contexts at Ulug-depe in Turkmenistan reveal subsistence economies that primarily focused on cultivating and herding, with the presence of common plant and animal species for this period such as wheat, barley, sheep, goat and cattle. However, a large diversity of wild resources, in particular game, indicates that collecting and hunting also played an important role at the site. The presence of these wild species in the bioarchaeological record clearly shows that people from Ulug-depe had access to a variety of very different biotopes – foothill zones, riverine environments and steppe-desert. The specific context of the Middle Iron Age citadel accounts for some unexpected discoveries such as large quantities of juniper among the wood elements used for roofing and a ritual deposit involving wild animals.

Abstract

International audience

Additional details