Fishing practices at the Kryvina Peat Bog as evidenced by the material culture of Asaviec 2 settlement (2008-2017 field seasons)

摘要

Asaviec 2 is one of the most studied settlements of the Kryvina peat bog in Northeastern Belarus. Its anaerobic environment allowed for excellent preservation of organic materials in the cultural layer dating to the end of 4th - first half of the 2nd millennium BC. Numerous artifacts connected with fishing are among the most intriguing material finds. The present publication examines materials from the 2008-2017 field seasons at Asaviec 2, the ichthyological collection of which consists of nearly 75 thousand identifiable fish bones and bone fragments. The material culture includes 68 artifacts associated with fishing, that were made of bone, teeth, bark, wood, stone, and clay. Among them are harpoon points, a barbed point, a variety of fishing hooks, barbs from composite tools, and sharpened bait-fishing tackle (zerlica/zherlitza) manufactured from bone and teeth. Large quantities of production waste, blanks, and unfinished fishing hooks were found at the settlement as well..lay and stone sinkers, bark floats, as well as remnants of a passive wooden fishing trap were discovered as well.Fishing equipment discovered at Asaviec 2 has multiple analogues found across culturally similar and geographically near peat bog settlements of Southeastern Latvia and Northwestern Russia. The material culture speaks to both individual and collective fishing practices, and belongs to the Northernbelarusian archaeological culture mainly, dating back to the middle of the 3rd - first half of the 2nd millennium BC. The abundance of fishing artifacts in the cultural layer, the versatility of tool types, as well as high the concentrations of fish bone and scales across the settlement highlight the crucial role of fishing in the dietary strategies of local inhabitants.