ANIMAL ECONOMY AND CONSUMPTION AT THE ADMINISTRATION SECTOR OF HITTITE CAPITAL ŠAPİNUWA

During the excavations carried out in Ortaköy-apinuva, another capital city of the Hittites, a large number of animal bones were found along with other find groups. Although it is understood that most of the bones in question represent the food waste of the city, the remains of sacrifices were also unearthed. This article aims to explain the livestock economy and consumption patterns of the city through a bone group recovered from the excavation area of the Tepelerarasi Region G Area. The area represents a metal workshop dating to the 14th century BC. The group of materials recovered from this area, called Workshop I, is not insitu. It is thought that after the workshop lost its function, it was filled with debris, which was brought from other sectors of the city for flatteing the terrain and described as the waste of the city. The results of our analysis showed that animal consumption is based on sheep and goats. Cattle are found in a very low numbers of mostly young individuals. Pig and few other species are minimally represented in the bone assemblage. While the mortality profile of cattle is dominated by young animals, those of sheep and goat show evidence fort he use of secondry products whilst also point to a meat provision strategy.