Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America.
SEARCH, Inc., New York, New York, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2023 Mar 1;18(3):e0280517. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280517. eCollection 2023.
At the renowned archaeological site of Mycenae, striking depictions of animals in ancient art and architecture, such as the 'Lion Gate', reflect the great power of elite residents in the Late Bronze Age. To better understand how social complexity relates to human-animal interactions at Mycenae, more research is needed on the animals who actually lived there. In a first for the archaeological site of Mycenae, we utilized a contextual taphonomic approach and statistical analysis to study a faunal assemblage, focusing on a massive deposit recovered from a well feature located in Room Π of Petsas House. Petsas House was an industrial-residential complex at Mycenae used at least in part by ceramic artisans at the time of its destruction in the Late Helladic IIIA2 period. Intra-contextual analysis of the animal remains detected sub-assemblages with variable histories of animal use and deposition. The results revealed multiple disposal events and possible dog interments. Most of the refuse in the well likely originated from rubbish piles in the surrounding rooms and periphery that were cleaned after a destructive earthquake. Together, the faunal evidence yielded a more nuanced, possibly seasonal picture of animal access than previously available at this important political center. The results provide new insights into the diverse and resilient resource provisioning strategies available to extra-palatial residents of Mycenae, especially those who participated in craft production and trade networks at the height of the palatial period.
在著名的迈锡尼考古遗址中，古代艺术和建筑中生动的动物描绘，如“狮子门”，反映了青铜时代晚期精英居民的巨大力量。为了更好地了解社会复杂性与迈锡尼的人类与动物互动之间的关系，需要对实际生活在那里的动物进行更多的研究。在迈锡尼考古遗址的首次尝试中，我们利用情境埋藏学方法和统计分析来研究动物群，重点研究从 Petsas 房屋 Π 房间的一个井特征中回收的大量沉积物。Petsas 房屋是迈锡尼的一个工业住宅综合体，在其在 Late Helladic IIIA2 时期被摧毁时，至少有一部分被制陶工匠使用。对动物遗骸的内部分析检测到具有不同动物使用和沉积历史的亚群。结果显示了多个处置事件和可能的狗埋葬。井中的大部分垃圾可能来自周围房间和周边的垃圾堆，在破坏性地震后进行了清理。总之，与这个重要的政治中心以前提供的情况相比，动物遗骸证据提供了更细致、可能是季节性的动物进入情况。这些结果为迈锡尼城外居民提供了更多关于多样化和有弹性的资源供应策略的新见解，特别是那些在宫殿时期参与手工艺生产和贸易网络的居民。
