Abstract
This contribution presents the basic information from preliminary taxonomic and taphonomic analysis of animal bones from the presumed ritual pit 40/74 from the Early and Middle Bronze Age settlement Spišský Štvrtok, Myšia hôrka site (Jakab 2004; Oravkinová 2018; Oravkinová/Vladár 2019; 2021; Vladár 1976). Altogether 254 bone specimens of 16 samples were analysed in 2017 (Bielichová 2017).
The deposit revealed rich assortment of animal taxa including cattle (Bos tauris), pig (Sus domesticus), sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus), horse (Equus caballus), dog (Canis familiaris), red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), hare (Lepus europaeus) and beaver (Castor fiber), representing at least 27 individuals. Human bone was also identified (table 1).
Both, number of identified specimens (NISP) and minimum number of individuals (MNI) attested the predominance of cattle in the assemblage. The small ruminants and pigs occurred in lesser, but similar numbers.
However, the bones of caprines slightly prevail. In general, domestic fauna predominated (73.1 % of NISP) and the representation of wild fauna was relatively small (7.1 %).
Regarding rich species assortment, the analysed collection correspond well to the preliminary information on the site archaeofauna provided by C. Ambros (Novotný/Kovalčík 1967, 32 - 35, 44).
The bone modifications included cut marks, chop marks, traces of bone marrow exploitation, carnivore gnawing, burning (some specimens were carbonized) and sporadic antler working (Bielichová 2017, tab. 4). Fairly fragmented material also indicate secondary or tertiary origin of the deposit that include mixed food and settlement debris.
Therefore, its ritual or cultic origin, cannot be neither excluded nor attested.