Zooarchaeological analysis of animal remains from the ancient city of Perinthos (Tekirdağ-Türkiye)

This study presents a zooarchaeological analysis of 9355 animal remains recovered from the Theatre and Necropolis sectors of the ancient city of Perinthos (Tekirdağ, Türkiye), excavated between 2021 and 2025. The analysis investigates animal resource use, dietary practices, livestock management, carcass processing, and the exploitation of terrestrial and aquatic resources, while also comparing two distinct archaeological contexts within the urban landscape. The assemblage is dominated by domestic mammals, particularly sheep, cattle, pigs, and sheep/goat, with sheep more strongly represented than goats in both contexts. Age-at-death evidence indicates substantial use of juvenile and subadult sheep and pigs, while cattle and goats include relatively higher proportions of adult individuals. Cut and chop marks on major skeletal elements provide direct evidence for carcass processing and meat consumption. The assemblage also includes horses, donkeys, mules, dogs, cats, wild mammals, birds, fish, crustaceans, and a diverse range of molluscs, demonstrating the exploitation of both terrestrial and aquatic resources. Differences in relative taxonomic representation between the Theatre and Necropolis indicate variation in the composition and deposition of animal remains, although the lack of comparable excavated-volume data limits direct comparison of absolute quantities. Overall, the results provide new zooarchaeological evidence for animal use and foodways at Perinthos and contribute to broader understanding of animal exploitation in ancient urban and coastal communities of the Propontis and eastern Thrace.