Horsemeat consumption in Late Bronze Age Estonia: a case study from the Iru fortified settlement

Horsemeat consumption has been one of the most intriguing questions about ancient dietary practices. Zooarchaeological materials from the Late Bronze Age in Estonia (850–500 BCE) contain high proportions of the domestic horse (Equus caballus) compared to subsequent periods, leading to debates about the cultural­-economic features of eating horsemeat during this period. One of the assemblages rich in horse remains is from the Iru fortified settlement in northern Estonia, first studied by Kalju Paaver in the 1960s. This article revisits the Iru zooarchaeological material with the aim of clarifying the significance of horsemeat con sumption among Iru people and expanding the discussion about the Bronze Age horse culture in prehistoric Estonia. Several findings confirmed the consumption of horsemeat. First, the taxonomic analysis showed a high proportion of horse specimens among livestock remains, contextually interpreted as kitchen and food refuse. Second, despite the horse specimens coming mainly from the cranium (teeth) and body parts with low meat yield (distal elements of the limbs), the evidence of butchering, especially for elements representing meaty body parts, attests to various food procurement activities. Third, the presence of juvenile specimens in the material refers to the culling of young animals, even though there is no direct evidence of utilising juvenile meat. The study results are discussed in the frame of contemporaneous material from Estonia and elsewhere, touching upon the extent of horsemeat consumption, the tools used for butchering, and the possible origins of the Bronze Age horse culture in Estonia.