ANIMAL EXPLOITATION IN THE SUBSISTENCE BASE OF THE CHALCOLITHIC GÜLPINAR COMMUNITY

This work examines the patterns of animal exploitation to reveal information the subsistence base of the Chalcolithic settlers of Gülpınar in Northwestern Anatolia. The prehistoric site of Gülpınar, located beneath the remains of the Graeco-Roman sanctuary of Apollo Smintheus (Smintheion), has lately contributed much to our understanding of the Chalcolithic period particularly in western Anatolian littoral. Zooarchaeological evidence from Level II representing the early Chalcolithic 2 period and the succeeding Level III belonging to the Middle Chalcolithic period demonstrates that stock raising, hunting, fishing, and marine molluscs gathering formed an important part of the diet at both levels of occupation at Gülpınar. This zooarchaeological study overall provides a vivid picture of the Chalcolithic communities’ animal exploitation patterns in northwestern Anatolia during a period encompassing a period roughly between 5300 BC and 4300 BC.