PLANT MACROREMAINSFROM MEDIEVAL ZOOGENIC DEPOSITS:RECONSTRUCTION FOR SHEPHERDAND ANIMAL DIET AND FUEL USE

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32653/CH222%25p

Keywords:

rock shelters, dung deposits, Middle Ages, archaeobotany, anthracology, cultivated grain, charcoal

Abstract

The study of medieval zoogenic (dung) deposits offers valuable insights into local vegetation dynamics, livestock farming practices, and land use over centuries. Among the most informative sources embedded within these deposits are plant macroremains – including charcoal, seeds, grains, chaff, and cereal straw – preserved with exceptional quality, particularly beneath rock shelters. This article investigates multiple dimensions of shepherd subsistence and animal husbandry, as well as patterns of wood fuel use, across nine shelters situated at varying altitudes (880–2500 m a.s.l.) within the Kislovodsk Basin and its immediate surroundings. Through integrated archaeobotanical and anthracological analysis, 9 species of grain and legume crops were identified alongside 12 wild food taxa and 19 woody taxa. The distribution of cultivated crops is examined in relation to shelter canopy position, and for the principal agricultural species, an attempt is made to correlate findings with the chronological sequence of individual stratigraphic horizons, as well as to distinguish between cereals used for human consumption and those serving as animal fodder. Millet, wheat, barley, and rye emerged as the most prevalent species. For wild food plants, evidence points to both local collection and deliberate transport from other altitudinal zones. The composition of charcoal spectra reflects opportunistic fuel procurement strategies focused on readily accessible resources, particularly riparian species such as birch, willow, alder, and poplar. A clear altitudinal gradient is demonstrated in the declining representation of broadleaf taxa (oak, hazel, hornbeam, and ash), while coniferous species appear to have been largely unavailable to shepherds in any meaningful quantity.

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Author Biographies

  • Aleksej Ur'evic Sergeev, Institute of Archaeology of RAS

    младший научный сотрудник

  • Dmitrij Aleksandrovic Kuprianov, Institute of Geography of RAS

    младший научный сотрудник

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Published

2026-06-30

How to Cite

1.
Sergeev AU, Kuprianov DA. PLANT MACROREMAINSFROM MEDIEVAL ZOOGENIC DEPOSITS:RECONSTRUCTION FOR SHEPHERDAND ANIMAL DIET AND FUEL USE. ИАЭК. 2026;22(2):342-356. doi:10.32653/CH222%p