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

子项目（SP）7的主要目标是更好地了解动物在中世纪蒙古人生存中的作用。信息的主要来源沿着历史游记，是波恩大学在喀喇昆仑进行的广泛的考古发掘。虽然对动物群材料的第一次分析显示，绵羊和牛是肉类和脂肪的主要来源，但许多问题仍然存在。沿着喀喇昆仑，将在项目框架内分析另外两个地点（Khar Khul Khaany Balgas和巴彦戈尔）的动物材料。通过比较不同地点与潜在的不同过去的环境之间的动物区系数据，我们打算阐明游牧牧民在蒙古帝国的牛群管理，适应策略，牲畜物种的起源和它们的遗传组成。畜牧业在蒙古高原城市住区发展中的贡献将以该地区迄今为止最全面的方法进行评估。喀喇昆仑的古动物群将作为研究蒙古中部中世纪动物开发和畜牧业的基础。由于修订的时间顺序方案，我们可以解决的历时动物群的发展在更高的分辨率。此外，新的方法将被应用于提高我们的理解山羊的饲料管理所反映的牙齿磨损，羔羊死亡率和围栏羊的影响。喀喇昆仑动物群的结果将与来自巴彦戈尔和Khar Khul Khaany Balgas的古动物群进行对比。我们期待着对蒙古时期不同环境中历史上的动物开发和畜牧业实践的新见解。特别是喀喇昆仑是一个吸引不同民族的“大熔炉”，因此进口所需的动物类群或产品可以帮助识别这些群体，同时显示贸易网络的范围。向城市肉类市场供应绵羊很可能涉及当地和远方的羊群。我们将测试是否表型不同的绵羊种群形状的肉类供应在喀喇昆仑和其他网站使用几何形态计量学（GMM）。稳定同位素分析（C、O、Sr）和大部分古代DNA工作将在第二阶段进行。其中一个关键问题是牛磺酸牛、牦牛和它们的杂交种khainag（牦牛）的区别。Khainag特别适合寒冷的山区环境，这是一个悬而未决的问题，何时以及为什么人们培育和/或引进这种杂交种。因此，我们的项目将使用现代参考资料更仔细地研究这种杂交种及其亲本的骨骼学。对所选样本的古代DNA分析将有助于我们确认杂交状态并详细说明Khainag的遗传组成。最后，由于蒙古帝国与欧洲的黑死病相吻合，我们打算筛选耶尔森氏菌和其他病原体的可能水库类群。

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.