engleski

Diatery habits at Vrbovec Castle in NW Croatia: archaeozoological evidence

The castle of Vrbovec lies on a steep slope offering a splendid view of the Sutla river valley, in the village Klenovec Humski in very northwestern part od Croatia. Vrbovec Castle or castrum Vrbouch is directly or indirectly mentioned in historical sources in the period between 1267 and 1497. Archaeological excavations point to an even earlier time of its erection, i.e. the very end of the 12th century, and to an even longer continuity of its use until the mid 16th cent. The polygonal layout of the Romanesque castle has been preserved only at foundation level and in the lower portions of walls of ground-floor rooms. Archaeological investigations brought to the light of day plenty of carved architectural stonework of very good quality as well as facets of everyday life of the nobles of the 13th-15th cent. and the beginning of the 16th century. Food was served on decorated wooden and seldom ceramic plates. The main cutlery was luxurious knives. After meal the lords drank wine from decorated beakers, goblets and jugs. An archaeozoological analysis was carried out on the faunal remains from the stratigraphically excavated layers. The sample consists of a total of around 6850 fragments of bones, teeth and horns, of which 20.92% were determined as mammals (Mammalia), 3.17% as birds (Aves) and 0.23% as remains of fish (Pisces). Indeterminate fragments amounted to 75.68%. The NISP (Number of Identified Specimens) for the period of the 12th-14th cent. shows a marked predominance of remains of pigs (around 60%), while remains of cattle and small ruminants vary between 10% and 20% depending on the period. During the second half of the 15th century the proportion of pigs drops significantly to about 20%, grows again towards the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century, while in the 16th century it is at 22%. A decline in the proportion of pigs in the latter half of the 15th century coincides with a substantial rise of small ruminants. This is at the same time the only period in which the proportion of small ruminants rises above 60%, while in all other periods it stays between 10% and 20%. There are no major oscillations in the proportion of cattle remains until the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. At the turn of the 16th century and during that century the number of bone remains of cattle rises. A calculation of the minimum number of individuals (MNI) shows a fairly balanced proportion for all animal species through all the periods, with the exception of pigs and cattle at the turn of the 16th century, where the MNI for these species rises significantly. The proportion of game (wild boar, red deer, roe deer and hare) is relatively constant throughout all periods and does not surpass 5%. An explanation for the large number of indeterminate fragments can be found in taphonomic processes, which are particularly visible in butchery marks on bones of primarily domestic species. Animal bones are also used to produce items of various purposes such as awls, flute, lace bobbins etc.

castle of Vrbovec; north-western Croatia; diatery habits; animal bones; archaeozoology

nije evidentirano