Animal use, husbandry, and herd management in the Mongol Empire

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The main goal of the subproject (SP) 7 is to better understand the role of animals in medieval Mongolian subsistence. Main source of information along with historic travelogues, are the extensive archaeological excavations in Karakorum conducted by the University of Bonn. Although a first analysis of the faunal material revealed a diverse fauna with sheep and cattle being the main source of meat and fat, many questions are still lingering. Along with Karakorum, the faunal material from two additional sites (Khar Khul Khaany Balgas and Bayan Gol), will be analysed in the framework of the project. By comparing the faunal data between different sites with potentially different past environs we intend to elucidate herd management of nomadic pastoralists during the Mongol Empire, the adaptation strategies, the provenance of livestock species and their genetic makeup. The contribution of animal husbandry in the development of urban settlements in the Mongolian plateau will be evaluated in the most comprehensive approach to-date in this region. The archaeofauna from Karakorum will serve as the basis for addressing medieval animal exploitation and husbandry in central Mongolia. Thanks to a revised chronological scheme, we can address the diachronic faunal development in much higher resolution. Additionally, novel approaches will be applied to improve our understanding of caprine management regarding foddering reflected by tooth abrasion, lamb mortality and the effects of penning of sheep in enclosures. Results of the Karakorum fauna will be contrasted with the archaeofaunas from Bayan Gol and Khar Khul Khaany Balgas. We expect novel insights into historic animal exploitation and husbandry practices in distinct environments during the Mongol period. Especially Karakorum was a ‘melting pot’ attracting distinct ethnic groups, therefore imports of desired animal taxa or products thereof can help identify these groups and show at the same time the extent of trade networks. It is likely that supply of urban meat markets with sheep involved local and distant herds. We will test whether phenotypically distinct sheep populations shaped meat provisioning at Karakorum and the other sites using Geometric Morphometrics (GMM). Stable isotope analysis (C, O, Sr) and most of the ancient DNA work will be conducted in Phase II. One key issue is the distinction of taurine cattle, yak, and their hybrid named khainag (хайнаг). Khainag is particularly well adapted to cold, mountainous environments and it is an open question when and why people bred and/or introduced this hybrid. Our project will therefore look more closely into the osteology of this hybrid and its parents using modern references. Ancient DNA analysis of selected specimens will assist us to confirm hybrid status and detail the khainag's genetic make-up. Finally, since the Mongol Empire coincides with the Black Death in Europe, we intend to screen possible reservoir taxa for Yersinia and other pathogens.