Birds of prey from 4th to 18th centuries AD of the Volga River basin of Russia

• Published in: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
• Main Authors: Shaymuratova, Dilyara, Askeyev, Arthur, Askeyev, Oleg, Askeyev, Igor
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2022
• Subjects: Northern Goshawk
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oa.3168; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/oa.3168; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/oa.3168

Abstract The article analyzes studies of bone assemblages of birds of prey from medieval and post‐medieval archaeological sites in the Volga River basin territory. We provide data on the presence of birds of prey: Accipitriformes (hawks and eagles), Falconiformes (falcons), and Strigiformes (owls) within the Volga region during the Middle Ages and post‐Middle Ages (4th–18th centuries AD) in bird communities from 15 archaeological sites. Archaeological bird of prey remains from the Volga basin could contribute to the understanding of the interaction between different ethnic groups in the region within the context of human–nature interaction. In quantitative terms, the clear predominance of the northern goshawk and white‐tailed sea‐eagle, as well as the high proportion of the Eurasian sparrowhawk and relatively high species diversity of falcons and owls observed in medieval time, indicates social or environmental context has changed in a short period of time. The use of birds of prey by the various ethnic groups in the Volga River basin was multifaceted, including for falconry/hawking practice, feathers, amulets, or ornaments and for religious/politics ceremonies.