Sample name: Begash (Phase 4)

Reference: M. Frachetti and N. Benecke. 2009. From sheep to (some) horses: 4500 years of herd structure at the pastoralist settlement of Begash (south-eastern Kazakhstan). Antiquity 83(322):1023-1037 [ER 3760]

Lithology: not described

Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement

Archaeology: ceramics,hearths,metal tools,other artifacts,other structures

Habitat comments: "The geography of the site indicates that Begash was a seasonally occupied winter time settlement for regionally mobile pastoralists".
"Phase 4 represents another period of intermittent use of the site. Fill layers above Phase 3b foundations suggest that the Saka (Iron Age) structures were not used, or that shorter term or more periodic habitation events predominated into the Wusun period. As in Phase 2, a number of hearths and trash pits across the site show that the site was not completely abandoned, but perhaps was used by smaller groups on a less consistent basis. Artifacts from Phase 4 levels also indicate activity at the site; spindle whorls, iron rivets, and ceramic slag all speak to productive activities".

Life forms: carnivores,ungulates

Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash

Sample size: 264 specimens

Years: 2005 - 2006

Sampling comments: "Begash was excavated in 2005 and 2006. During the excavation, faunal remains were carefully collected by hand in all trenches of the site and screening of 50 per cent of the excavated soil was performed through a 10 mm screen. We also wet sieved and floated representative hearth and midden samples from nearly all stratigraphic contexts. While overall bone preservation is good, the remains are characterised by a high degree of fragmentation with only very few bones being complete".

Sample number: 4019

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-10-17 17:23:57

Modified: 2023-05-30 02:20:19