Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
XI. Intenrational Hittitology Congress , Çorum, Türkiye, 13 - 19 Aralık 2021
A
study of animal husbandry at Şapinuva through animal remains, 86Sr/88Sr
isotope analysis, geometric
morphometrics and Hittite texts.
E. Pişkin, A. Süel, İ. Kandemir, S. Köksal, G. Özger,
G. Durdu, M. Aydın, S. Gerçek.
(Aygül hocam, Murat ve Semih isimleri alfabetik
sıra ile koydum. Ne düşünüyorsun? Bu doğru mu? Sıralamayı değiştirmek
istiyorsanız lütfen yapın)
Animal husbandry and agriculture were central to the
economic success of the Hittite state. Numerous laws were issued to regulate
every detail of raising and selling animals and their use for taxes, bounty,
dowry, labour and ritual. Long distance mobility and transhumance are mentioned
in various Hittite tablets as well as the distinction of different “kinds” of
animals belonging to the same species. This research aimed to investigate
mobility and transhumance of animals raised in Şapinuva through 86Sr/88Sr
isotope analysis, the possibility of selective
breeding to achieve improved “breeds” through geometric morphometrics and
supplement these with information derived directly from Hittite documents by
means of translating 25 tablets from the archive discovered in Şapinuva. We also aimed to see whether or not there
were differences between the animal remains found at the two different areas
excavated at Şapinuva; Ağılönü which a sacred area and Teplerarası which is the
political/administrative seat of the city. We first created an isoscape based
on 86Sr/88Sr values we derived from
local rocks and snails. We then measured 86Sr/88Sr
isotope
values from teeth of sheep, goat and cattle which we projected against the
isoscape in order to find out about the location and movements of the flocks. We
obtained a picture of the land use related to raising animals and locations of
transhumance places at the North and North west of the city. Some of the
animals measured had no match in the local isoscape hence we supposed that
these may represent animals imported to Şapinuva from other regions perhaps
through the mechanisms mentioned above. We cannot exclude though the
possibility that these animals were raised in areas within or close by the
Şapinuva territory which we did not sampled. We found not strong evidence for
distinction amongst the animals recovered from Ağılönü and Tepelerarası.
Turning to the geometric morphometrics, we applied the technique on sheep, goat
and cattle bones and, in some cases, there have been clear distinctions and
groupings of animals implying that indeed different phenotypes existed. A
distinction between the animals from Ağılönü and Tepelerarası was sometimes
possible to be drawn whilst in other cases it was not apparent. Lastly, amongst
the 25 Hittite tablets worked on, we often found reference to animal use and
mobility, mostly related to the forms of booty taken, rituals performed another
location and cattle send away to plough fields or accompany soldiers.
This research was made possible with the grant No
117K382 obtained by TÜBİTAK.