Zooarchaeology of the Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic site of Qasr-e Ahmad (Iran)

The zooarchaeological study of the Neolithic site of Qasr-e Ahmad in Fars Province (southern Zagros, Iran) provides valuable evidence for a better understanding of the process of caprine domestication and dispersal in Southwest Asia.Goat was the most commonly exploited animal in Qasr-e Ahmad during both phases of prehistoric settlement (Pre-Pottery Neolithic and Pottery Neolithic). Sheep were also present but represent a limited contribution to the subsistence economy at the site. Limited osteometric data from sheep suggest that they were already domesticated at the site, which is earlier than hitherto suggested for the region. Kill-off and osteometric data indicate that the majority of goats and sheep were managed using strategies known at other later sites in the region. Cattle and pig were not domesticated and were not regularly exploited. The location of the site next to the Qara Aqhaj permanent river, the presence of architectural remains in the PPN phases of the site, as well as the abundance of lithic tools indicate pastoral and agricultural components in the Qasr-e Ahmad human communities.