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Animal and plant remains recovered from two archaeological sites in Iași city (NE Romania) were analyzed in this work. The aim of this study was to contribute to the economic and environmental evaluation of an old urban settlement. The analyzed sites, both of value in archaeological preventive research, are dated to the 18th–19th centuries. The archaeozoological analysis consisted of anatomical, taxonomic, and taphonomic identifications, quantification, estimations of age at slaughter and sex, and osteometry. The results revealed that the animal remains are of domestic origin, as indicated by traces of butchering, and can be mainly described in terms of their frequencies (i.e., number of identified specimens and minimum number of individuals), selection for slaughter, morphology, and size. The results show that animal husbandry (e.g., cattle, sheep/goat, pig, and horse) had significant importance in the economy of the settlement, and cattle were preferred for consumption. Few remains were identified for wild mammals (i.e., red deer, wild boar, and hare), birds, and mollusks. The phytolith analysis indicated that some plant resources were used in the economy of this settlement. The identification of opal silica bodies revealed the presence of grasses and cultivated cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The authors present results on animal resources in the economy of medieval Moldova as they are reflected by analyses of animal skeletal remains recovered from archaeological sites situated in northeastern Romania and the Republic of Moldova. This paper aims to statistically evaluate the data of previous studies, and to analyse the case of the urban settlement from Târgu Neamț in the context of medieval Moldova. The results indicate the great importance of animal breeding and the low interest in hunting and fishing. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of the medieval Moldovan economy by evaluating animal resources (e.g., animal husbandry, hunting, fishing) based on the skeletal remains found in archaeologic sites from northeastern Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Animal remains, especially those from the urban settlement of the 14th–16th centuries from Târgu Neamţ (NE Romania), were described in terms of their frequencies (i.e., number of identified specimens and minimum number of individuals), morphometry, and livestock management (i.e., animal selection by age and sex). The results were compared with those obtained from other settlements—rural, urban, and fortress—from medieval Moldova. Correspondence analysis of the identified animals and settlements on the basis of the frequency values reveals associations between the two variables (animal species and settlement). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses archaeozoological remains originating from the Noviodunum fortress in South-Eastern Romania, Tulcea County, where archaeological research indicates an extensive civil settlement with Roman and Medieval levels, but also few Getic discoveries. Animal remains are described in terms of their frequencies based on the number of identified specimens and on the minimum number of individuals. The archaeozoological data highlight a preference for domestic mammals (cattle, sheep/goat, pig), but also for wild mammals and fish. A summary of archaeozoological studies in different sites of Noviodunum fortress shows variation in the assemblages. The results of the Principal Component Analysis suggest that in the Roman period cattle was the preferred for consumption, and later, in Middle Ages, sheep/goat sheep was eaten more [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains originating from the middle Holocene (i.e. Chalcolithic site of Poduri-Dealul Ghindaru, in Eastern Romania, Bacău County). Poduri-Dealul Ghindaru site is the only tell settlement known in the area of existence of the Cucuteni culture, with inhabitation levels from Neolithic to the Bronze Age. In order to better understand the diet components of the prehistoric inhabitation belonging to the Cucuteni A and Cucuteni B phases, we follow evidence from archaeozoology, carpology, and palynology. For the carpological taxa, we calculate their ubiquity, diversity, and edibility score. The two sets of taxa are then compared in their similarity. Palynological data record the presence of cereal grains in all samples. We present the archaeozoological taxa with their quantification values and we calculate for the Cucuteni A and B phases, and in comparison with the Bronze Age sample, their richness, Shannon–Weaver diversity index and equitability. A correspondence analysis is carried out in order to compare the exploitation strategies for the three assemblages. For the archaeobotanical data, we find that the Cucuteni A phase is dominated by anthropogenic activity indicators and a heavy reliance on cereals. The Cucuteni B phase seems to be characterized by a restriction of human activity. The archaeozoological data highlight a preference for large mammals (cattle, dear, boar) during Cucuteni A and BA and smaller mammals during Cucuteni B (sheep/goat, pig, hare). We conclude that although the subsistence strategies remain similar, the dietary components change during the Cucuteni A and B phases, probably in response to environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research of pollen, spores, phytoliths and animal remains was performed in the Chalcolithic settlement (Cucuteni culture, Vth-IVth millennia cal B.C.) of Costeşti (Iaşi County, Romania). Archaeobotanical data are correlated with those of archaeozoology in order to achieve an understanding of the site formation processes, the economic and environmental contexts of the Chalcolithic settlement. Palynological analysis testified the presence of deciduous trees such as linden and oak. Willow, alder and birch probably inhabited banks of river whose course goes right near the site. Regarding the herbaceous plants, there were identified both spontaneous taxa and other taxa which could be cultivated. Cereal inflorescence phytoliths have been identified. In the archaeozoological sample, butchering and the manufacturing originated the fragmentation of remains. The majority of animal remains are from domestic mammals, with the predominance of sheep/goat, followed by cattle and pig. The hunting of wild mammals is less important in the food provisioning system; as game species, red deer, wild boar and aurochs are dominant. Harvesting of molluscs is testified by a very small number of remains. According to these data, the economy of the Chalcolithic settlement from Costeşti was based on the plant cultivation and animal husbandry, and also on forest and even aquatic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]