Животноводство и домашние животные древней Маргианы: (бронзовый век, Туркменистан)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of features of economic use of the livestock by the people of Ancient Margiana on the basis of the materials from excavations of Gonur-Depe. Ancient Margiana unites sites located in the dry delta of the Murgab, the largest one is Gonur-Depe. The site was studied since the early 1970s by the Margiana archaeological expedition under the leadership of V. I. Sarianidi (until his death in 2013). Despite the fact that research of monuments of ancient delta of Murgab continued for more than 40 years, there was little information about the features of economic use of animals by inhabitants of the ancient country. The main reason of the lack of data on this issue is poverty of cultural layer of animal bones originating from kitchen waste. A few bulk samples were managed to get within 10 years of excavation at Gonur Depe. They come from northern, eastern and southern sectors of the site. The majority of bones in all three areas derived from cattle and small ruminants (sheep and goats), which were the main sources of meat products. The share of other domestic species is considerably less, but pigs and, possibly, camels were used for meat. The data showed that the inhabitants of the surrounding of Palace-temple complex were not directly engaged in livestock breeding (they received meat products from the outside), farming played only a supporting role for them. This conclusion mostly confirms the opinion of V. I. Sarianidi on the special status of the Gonur settlement, as the administrative and religious center.

Приведены результаты археологического исследования остатков домашних животных в репрезентативных остеологических выборках из раскопок Гонур-депе.