Abstract
The archaeozoological analysis focused on the taxonomic and anatomic identification of animal remains from the early medieval hillfort site Bojná I-Valy. The excavation season in 2015 (Pieta et al. 2020) revealed small and badly preserved assemblage of animal teeth and bones that originate from several trenches within the Eastern Gate and habitation area 5 inside the fortification.
Altogether eight samples including one sorted out from the archaeobotanical flotation sample have been analysed. We identified 26 fragments with total weight of 178 g that represented cattle or bovid (NISP = 9) and most probably also sheep/goat (NISP = 1).
Most of the skeletal elements preserved represented teeth (table 1), that in case of sample 6 might represent one individual of age 2 - 3 years (subadultus). Other specific age or sex data were not recorded due to bad preservation of specimens.
Modifications observed comprise cut-off rib of a large mammal and calcined (white) bone fragments of a middle-sized mammal(s). It has been argued that new findings fully correspond with available archaeozoological knowledge (Miklíková 2007; 2009a; 2009b; 2010).
To date, the study of 118 specimens approved the representation of cattle, caprines, pig and horse, with a predominance of cattle (35.6 % of NISP) and caprines (11.8 %). Yet surprisingly low percentage of pig remains (4.2 %) have alternative explanations - state of archaeozoological research or a food/husbandry preferences.
Both need to be attested by further research of animal remains from the site as well as other settlements from the early medieval agglomeration in Bojná.