Cervus elaphus, AS FOOD SOURCE

Mărgărit, Monica & Bălășescu, Adrian, 2025, Economic significance of Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 in the Gumelnița culture (5 th mill. BC): from food to technical resources, Anthropozoologica 60 (13), pp. 175-194 : 177-180

CERVUS ELAPHUS AS FOOD SOURCE

With the appearance of the first farmers north of the Danube ( c. 6200 BC) during the Early and Middle Neolithic, the percentage of domestic taxa (mainly ovicaprids and cattle) in the faunal assemblages surpasses 70 % ( Bălășescu et al. 2005a; Bălășescu & Mărgărit 2014). Later on, during the GumelniŢa culture ( Table 1; Fig. 2), we note the direct and tight connection between the interest of the populations for hunting, fishing, gathering, and the existence of a rich wild faunal spectrum. For example, at the tell settlement of GumelniŢa, stable isotope analyses point to the existence of an agrarian community, with half of the diet consisting of cereals and legumes, supplemented by freshwater resources and hunting. Domestic animals were exploited mostly for by-products and less for meat as shown by García Vázquez et al. (2023).

During the development of the GumelniŢa culture, the type of economy changes and hunting reaches unexpectedly high frequencies in certain places. The animals hunted were mainly red deer, wild boar, aurochs ( Bos primigenius Bojanus, 1827 ) and to a lesser extent wild horse ( Equus ferus Linnaeus, 1758 ) or carnivores: wolf ( Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 ), fox ( Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758 ), lynx ( Lynx lynx Linnaeus, 1758 ), wild cat ( Felis silvestris Schreber, 1777 ), etc. ( Bălășescu et al. 2005a). There are sites where the remains of wild animals reach and even exceed 50 %. An example is the Vitănești tell settlement, where wild mammals accounted for 68.3% in GumelniŢa A2 level and 48 % in the GumelniŢa B1 level ( Bălășescu & Radu 2003; Bălășescu et al. 2005a, b; Bălășescu 2014). At Căscioarele, B1 level, hunting is attested by the high number of wild mammal remains ( Bolomey 1964), reaching 84.1 % ( Bălășescu et al. 2005a, b) from the faunal assemblage. A. Bolomey (1964, 1968) notes that deer remains make up more than half of the total osteological material, mentioning 1193 fragments from the GumelniŢa B1 level. However, the situation seems radically different in the GumelniŢa A2 level from this tell settlement. The predominance of domestic animals is attested, the red deer being present with only 84 fragments ( Bolomey 1968). There are tell settlements, such as those at Hârşova and Borduşani (GumelniŢa A2) where wild mammals account for only a quarter of the total mammal remains. At Tangâru, the percentage of wild mammal remains was only 2.7 % ( Bălășescu et al. 2005b). These examples reflect varied adaptations of hunting strategies. We can probably see a correlation between the development of deer hunting in certain sites (e.g., Căscioarele, Vitănești) and the diversity of weapons made from bone and antlers (e.g., Mărgărit et al. 2022, 2023; Mărgărit 2024b), and, conversely, the limited variety of weapons (e.g., Bordușani, Hârșova) in sites with a marginal role of this type of hunting.

The red deer is a species that inhabits large ecosystems, often moving over medium to long distances in search of food and water. It prefers forests, as well as the neighbouring biogeocenoses, especially steppes, incursions into such regions being frequent, particularly in seasons when food is scarce. Between 7000 and 3000 BC, studies illustrate the impact of average annual temperatures and increased humidity, which allowed for the widespread development of red deer, highlighted by the expansion of the ecosystems they were part of ( Popescu 2008). Even if the restrictive climatic factors of the analyzed period essentially influenced each community to identify its own subsistence strategies that exploited mainly local resources, the literature has shown that high hunting rates could have resulted from the interaction of several factors: the appearance of new husbandry techniques (Bovinae and Suinae), the development of complex socio-economic relations between the sites, or an increased social value attributed to wild mammals ( Bréhard & Bălășescu 2012).

The red deer is well represented as number of remains in most of the GumelniŢa tell settlements. At Borduşani, GumelniŢa and Hârșova, red deer are outnumbered by the wild boar, and by the aurochs at Vlădiceasca and ÎnsurăŢei. The situation is largely the same with regard to NMI (minimum numbers of individuals) ( Bălășescu et al. 2005b). At the Teleorman Valley (southern Romania), cervids remains account for 20.7% in the GumelniŢa A2 level and 16.7 % in the GumelniŢa B1 level, the red deer being the most hunted animal ( Bălășescu & Radu 2003).

The analysis of the metapodial and calcaneal remains of red deer shows that more males than females were hunted which could indicate selective hunting due to their larger size (larger amounts of meat) and the antlers being used in the manufacture of tools and weapons ( Bălășescu et al. 2005a, b). Hunting was carried out throughout the year, as proven by the discoveries from the Vitănești tell settlement ( Teleorman Valley), where the red deer is represented by all anatomical elements, including cranial elements with antlers on the head (at least 10 individuals) ( Bălășescu & Mărgărit 2014). Not coincidentally, in this settlement the processing of antlers cut from the skull is attested, even if not in a significant proportion compared to those made from shed antlers ( Mărgărit et al. 2022). Skulls with antlers on their heads were also found at the tell settlements from Hârşova, MǎriuŢa or LuncaviŢa ( Bălășescu et al. 2005a).