Animal Exploitation in the Samarkand Oasis (Uzbekistan) at the Time of the Arab Conquest: Zooarchaeological Evidence from the Excavations at Kafir Kala

Since ancient times, Central Asian economy has been based on a combination of irrigated agriculture and pastoralism. While research on ancient irrigation systems is relatively abundant, zooarchaeological studies in Central Asia are rather scarce. This paper presents the results of the zooarchaeological study of animal bones found at the citadel of Kafir Kala during the Uzbek-Italian excavations. In the Early Middle Ages (sixth–seventh centuries AD), this site was a major administrative center located along the local Silk Road routes. After the Arab conquest at the beginning of the eighth century AD, the site was settled for residential purposes. Preliminary zooarchaeological analysis was conducted on over 6,000 faunal remains retrieved from the 2001–2014 excavation seasons. Domestic animals were predominant. Sheep and goats represent ca. 80% of the total, followed by cattle and a small number of equids, pigs, dogs, and cats. A limited number of bird bones—Galliformes—were also recognized. Among the wild animals, fox is the most common, followed by wild boar and scant remains of small to medium ungulates. Evaluation of the age-at-death provides important information about the diet and the production/processing of secondary products.