SUBSISTENCE PATTERNS OF AN EARLY AVAR COMMUNITY IN THE MAROS VALLEY BASED ON INTERDISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATIONS (original) (raw)

This presentation provides an overview of subsistence patterns of an Early Avar Age community inhabiting the Maros valley of SE Hungary during the 6-7 th centuries A.D. via comparative analysis of the archeology complemented by results of natural scientific investigations. A settlement of this community is unknown, but 251 graves of their cemetery near the Makó-Mikócsa halom (Makó-Mikócsa pile) have been excavated. A stunning feature is the exceptionally high number of animal burials, which appear in three forms: as food, attachment or sacrifice. The sheer number of animal bones is a clear indication of a dominantly nomadic agropastoral economic system. 37% had animal bones representing food remains with a prevalence of lamb. Sacrificial remains include dominantly cattle, sheep with a highly subordinate number of horse. Horn and bone tools made of red deer ribs and antlers highlight the importance of hunting. No tools indicating plant cultivation are known in the records. Yet detailed analysis of textile remains attached to some iron tools attest the use and cultivation of flax and hemp. To confirm and widen knowledge gained regarding subsistence archeological data was complemented with information on bone geochemistry (trace elements of Mn, Zn, Cu; C, N, O isotopes). Wheat and other cereal produce have high manganese content resulting high concentrations of this element stored in the body and the bones. Values below 500 pp generally indicate a meat & dairy based diet. In Makó the average Mn concentrations ranged between 160-400 ppm. Zn is above 200 ppm, again indicating meat consumption. Cu ranged between 20-40 ppm.The δ 15 N stable isotope values for the Avars at Makó ranged from 9.2-14.6 ‰. The general range is lower than that indicating freshwater fish in the diet congruently with the lack of fishbones at all sites. However, the δ 15 N values indicate the use of secondary products of domesticated livestock. Individuals characterized by δ 15 N values of a mixed diet or dominantly plant carb diet were missing from Makó. The Early Avar community at Makó had dominantly C4 plants in their diet (millet). This clearly corroborates the emplacement of millet porridge into the burial jars. As other Central European populations occupying the region utilized wheat and barley, both C3 plants, as staple crops the Avars of Makó were non-locals to the area. Geochemical, sedimentological analysis of soil (Corg, inorg, pH, EC, MS, grain-size, color, 8 elements) retrieved from jars of the Makó cemetery also aided elucidation of the nature of organic matter emplaced into jars. Spatial distribution of marker elements connected to the presence of flesh and cereal meals (Mn, Cu, Zn) in the pots were highly correlated with the amount of Corg. Elevated values of K, Mg helped identification of wood ash and burnt flesh, bone remains. Others (Ca, Mg) may indicate the burial of water bank plants (reed, bulrush).