Bringing Home the Bacon: Carcass transport, butchery, and food preparation decisions at PPNA Körtiktepe, upper Mesopotamia

Faunal remains from archaeological sites dating to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) are usually interpreted with an emphasis on early animal management strategy, domestication, environmental change, or ritual – particularly including feasting. In general, however, little attention has been paid to questions of methods of processing animal carcasses, including initial dismemberment, secondary butchery, and preparation for consumption. In hunting contexts, butchery practices can help elucidate firstly, constraints and priorities when preparing carcasses for transportation and, secondly, indicate modes of butchery, cooking and consumption that may be culturally specific. This paper will focus on butchery practices at the site of Körtiktepe, one of the rare sites comprising both Epipaleolithic and PPNA strata both giving a general overview of the typical practices demonstrated at the site, as well as highlighting particular aspects of interest.