Animal exploitation at the subsistence base of the chalcolithic Gülpınar community

Pişkin E., Takaoğlu T.

TÜBA-AR : TÜRKIYE BILIMLER AKADEMISI ARKEOLOJI DERGISI = TURKISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, vol.27, pp.45-59, 2020 (Scopus)

Abstract

This work examines the patterns of animal exploitation to reveal information on the subsistence base of the Chalcolithic

settlers of Gülpınar in Northwestern Anatolia. The prehistoric site of Gülpınar, located beneath the remains of the

Greek and Roman sanctuary of Apollo Smintheus (Smintheion) in northwestern Anatolia, has lately contributed

much to our understanding of the Chalcolithic period particularly in western Anatolian littoral. Zooarchaeological

evidence from phase II representing the early Chalcolithic 2 period and the succeeding phase III belonging to the

Middle Chalcolithic period demonstrates that stock raising, hunting, fishing, and marine molluscs gathering formed

an important part of the diet at both phases of occupation at Gülpınar. This zooarchaeological study overall provides

a vivid picture of the Chalcolithic communities’ animal exploitation patterns in northwestern Anatolia during a

millennium-long period between 5300 BC and 4300 BC.