Zooarchaeology of the Iron Age–Urartu Ayanis citadel, Eastern Turkiye

Throughout over 30 years of expeditions at Ayanis citadel animal bones were of rare finds and mostly remained unreported. Here, this study presents the first zooarchaeological analyses of 10,553 animal bones and their fragments, predominantly unearthed from a royal midden of the citadel. The analyses were primarily based on the identification of species, age, sex, marks and modifications, and general pathological changes on mainly of 4,028 specimens observed with a diagnostic zone (DZ). Extensive measurements were taken to construct a reliable zooarchaeological dataset for the site and comparisons in future studies. Logarithmic Size Index (LSI) was calculated to understand the morphological status of Ayanis sheep, goats and cattle, as well as comparing with these domestic livestock in other Iron Ages sites. The results were further compared with faunal remains from contemporary Urartian sites including Bastam in northwestern Iran, and Karmir–Blur and Horom in western Armenia. Beyond epigraphic and textual sources, the study concludes with some direct archaeological evidence on both the roles of animals in food habit, rituals and animal (pig) taboo practiced by the Urartian elites at Ayanis citadel, as well as the bio-metric status of domestic livestock, and animal–human interactions within the broader socio-economic contexts of the Urartian world.