Animal exploitation over two millennia at Aukuras hill hillfort at the Kernavė archaeological complex, Lithuania: zooarchaeological evidence from birds, fish, and mammals (c. 800 cal BC–1400 cal AD)

The Kernavė archaeological complex in eastern Lithuania provides a rare opportunity to investigate long-term changes in human–animal relationships within a single site landscape. This paper presents the results of zooarchaeological analyses of 15 339 animal remains recovered from Aukuras hill hillfort in Kernavė, of which 4207 were identified to various taxonomic levels, from order and family to species. The assemblage spans four occupation phases between c. 800 cal BC and 1400 cal AD and includes mammals, birds, and fish, allowing the reconstruction of animal husbandry, hunting, and fishing practices over nearly two millennia. The results demonstrate that farming was already fully established during the Late Bronze Age, with pigs and sheep/goats forming the basis of animal husbandry. During the late Pre-Roman and Roman periods, cattle became increasingly important, likely reflecting the intensification of crop cultivation. The same period yielded the earliest known chicken remains in Lithuania, indicating the introduction of the domestic chicken by c. 200 cal BC–200 cal AD. The medieval assemblage reveals a distinct pattern of elite consumption and hunting. Compared with the inhabitants of Kernavė’s medieval Upper and Lower Towns, pork, birds, fish, and wild game appear to have played a more important role in the diet of the residents of Aukuras hill hillfort. The abundance of northern goshawk remains and hare bones points to the importance of falconry and specialised hunting focused on small game. The assemblage provides new insights into the interaction between farming, social status, and animal exploitation in the eastern Baltic from prehistory to the medieval period.