The Fauna of the unique lakeside settlement of neolithic Greece

The present research aims to focus on one site of Western Macedonia, Dispilio (prefecture of Kastoria), dating mainly to the beginning of LN.

The site of Dispilio, is a lakeside settlement in the south shore of the lake of Kastoria, which is the first lakeside settlement to be excavated in Greece.

A total of 74188 bone fragments (NISP) have been recorded during this study, of which 13196 (18%) have been identified by species or element.

The importance of domestic fauna is evident in all phases.

Domesticates’ management, carcass utilisation, processing and exploitation were explored in detail.

Depositional and post-depositional taphonomy, seasonality of occupation and palaeopathology are three additional areas included in this research.

Biometrical data, age and sex data of selected species were also analysed. The relation of the bones with the other artifacts and means of nutrition will be taken into account. Under process laboratory analyses will enrich the information given by macroscopic analysis.

The present zooarchaeological study of Dispilio reveals -at the moment- a fauna very similar to those of the tell sites or horizontally extending settlements of the same period in Greece.