Skip to content

← Home

Paleoethnobotany and Archaeozoology of the Inkerman Microregion

Paleoethnobotany and archaeozoology of the Inkerman microregion is an interdisciplinary complex of natural science research into the bioresources and environment of the Uch-Bash and Sakharna Holovka settlements from the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages (12th–7th centuries BCE).

Overview

The conclusions were obtained through specialized analyses of paleobotanical macroremains (S. Horbanenko), mammalian fauna (R. Kroytor), birds (L. Horobets), fish (Ye. Yanish), wood (M. Serheyeva), and bone and flint artifacts (S. Razumov, M. Serheyeva), published in a monograph edited by Evelina Kravchenko (2016).

Natural science data made it possible to refute the notion of a primitive economy in the Kizil-Koba culture and prove the existence of a developed agro-livestock complex and rational commercial utilization of the ecosystems of the Chorna River and Sevastopol Bay.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Paleoethnobotany and Agriculture (S. Horbanenko):
  • A wide range of cultivated cereals was identified: hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare), free-threshing wheat (Triticum aestivum/durum), emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon), and rye (Secale cereale).
  • An increase in the proportion of rye and free-threshing wheat during the Taurian period indicates improvements in tillage techniques.
  • Weed seeds found indicate prolonged continuous cultivation of arable plots. The presence of gardening and homestead viticulture is suggested.
  • Identification of wood species (M. Serheyeva) demonstrated the use of oak, hornbeam, ash, and pine for construction and heating.
  • Mammalian Archaeozoology (R. Kroytor):
  • Domestic livestock accounted for 60–80% of animal remains: small cattle/caprines (sheep and goats — over 55%) dominated, followed by cattle (around 20%), pigs, and horses.
  • Wild fauna constituted about 20% of bone remains. The primary targets of selective hunting were red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Hare, fox, marten, kulan, and bottlenose dolphin played a secondary role.
  • A significant percentage of juvenile deer indicates the use of hunting traps, while the abundant presence of antlers points to a raw material base for a bone-carving workshop.
  • Ichthyology and Marine Fishery (Ye. Yanish):
  • All identified bone remains and scales belong to mullet fish of the genus Liza, predominantly golden grey mullet and leaping mullet.
  • Over 85% of the fish meat diet was provided by the larger mullet (golden grey mullet).
  • Mass harvesting of mature mullet was conducted using set nets and fish traps in the upper reaches of Sevastopol Bay in autumn (July–September).
  • Avifauna (L. Horobets):
  • Bone remains of wild and waterfowl birds were identified, which supplemented the residents' seasonal diet and served as an indicator of wetland and forest landscapes.