Conspicuous cattle: zooarchaeological evidence for elite consumption in 2nd-millennium BCE Western Anatolia

Abstract

This research aims to understand the Late Bronze Age (LBA) cattle husbandry practices by the community at Kaymakçı, a large hilltop citadel located in western Anatolia. Cattle were important animals for socio-economic and symbolic life in the greater region since their domestication in the Neolithic, but they become conveyors of significant social differentiation in LBA Anatolia. Through a study of the zooarchaeological evidence, we explore the relative abundance of cattle, the contribution of beef to meat consumption, how cattle were used (meat, milk, or traction), and how beef was distributed across the settlement. We show that while beef was the number one source of meat at Kaymakçı, it was not distributed evenly across the site. In addition, cattle were very important for dairy production and possibly traction. Importantly, evidence indicates that cattle were probably provisioned to the settlement, not raised on-site. The results of this research provide a foundation for future research on western Anatolian LBA cattle husbandry strategies, and an important addition for the research of LBA cattle cultures more broadly. The results of this study suggest that the people at Kaymakçı practiced an animal economy based on tailored provisioning and demonstrated strategic behaviors towards their animals, particularly towards cattle, in accordance with their culture, environment, and sociopolitical objectives.