Animals and urbanization in northern Mesopotamia:Late Chalcolithic faunal remains from Hamoukar, Syria

Summary

This paper presents the results of a five year zooarchaeological study at the site of Hamoukar, a major Late Chalcolithic (fourth millennium BC) site in northeastern Syria. The Late Chalcolithic occupation at Hamoukar presents an excellent opportunity to study the social impact of foodways at an early urban site in northern Mesopotamia. When the site was destroyed by fire during the late fourth millennium BC, the occupants fled, leaving their goods and garbage behind in a well-preserved building complex. Excavations within these Late Chalcolithic buildings recovered intact floor assemblages that included many kinds of evidence for food management and consumption, including animal bones, ceramic vessels, and administrative devices for the control of access to stored goods. Excavations in exterior spaces also produced interesting data regarding food preparation and disposal, including numerous ovens and a dumping ground for animal carcasses. In this paper, faunal remains will be integrated with other classes of evidence to produce a multi-dimensional analysis of foodways and their role in social and political life at the site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17396