STUDY ON ANIMAL BONE MATERIAL EXCAVATED FROM AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE FROM THE EARLY CHALCOLITH AND THE LATE IRON AGE NEAR THE VILLAGE OF SREDETS, BULGARIA

The aim of the present research was to perform an archaeozoological analysis of animal bone material obtained from excavations near the village of Sredets, Stara Zagora region, Bulgaria. The osteoarchaeological finding was species-determined by morphological methods. The osteological material contained an entire skeleton of a sacrificed horse and 1015 species-determined bones and bone fragments belonging to a total of nine species of mammals of domestic and wild origin. The osteological finding from domestic mammals was predominant, amounting to 941 pieces of bones. The cattle bones took up a leading position of the total number of identified bones – 49,80% from the Early Chalcolithic Age and 58,14% from the Late Iron Age. The greater part comprised food remains from ancient inhabitants, indicated by the strong fragmentation of the animal bones, and traces of a mechanical impact as a result of an interaction with hard objects (portioning), as well as traces of thermal processing (burning). In a ritual pit from the Late Iron Age, a skeleton of a sacrificial horse was found. The horse was part of the livelihood and economic activity in these lands, marked the high social status of its owner, and, therefore, was sacrificed during funerals or other rituals.