The Nutrition System of the Bronze Age Miners in the Southern Trans-Urals

This article describes the diet of the Alakul miners from the Bronze Age in the Vorovskaya Yama mine in the Southern Trans-Urals (17th–16th centuries BCE) based on an archaeozoological analysis of animal bones, a GC-MS study of burnt-on remains on ceramics, the reconstruction of vessel volumes, and the planigraphic distribution of kitchen waste. It also presents a comparative description of the dietary practices of miners and inhabitants of non-specialized settlements of the same period. Similarities between the diets include the predominance of cattle and ovicaprid meat, the use of similar cutting up carcasses and cooking methods, and the use of similar types of cooking utensils. However, there are also some differences, such as the dependence of the mining settlement on outside food supplies, the lack of traces of hunting in the settlement, the absence of miniature and very large vessels, and a significant number of burnt-on remains on vessels. Additionally, there is an area designated for the disposal of animal bones. The data suggest the emergence of a separate group of miners, while maintaining close connections with the original community.