An introduction to Archaeozoological studies of Nishapur in the Islamic period up to the 7th H. /13th CE. century

Abstract The Greater Khorasan including the area covering the modern Khorasan province in Iran has played an important role in the historical and cultural development of the Islamic world. Nishapūr, as one the major cultural and economic centers of Khorasan exists in a cultural landscape in which urban and rural entities constitute an inextricable part of it. Agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry have been continually the foundation of Nishapur’s economy. kohandež (Citadel) as stated by written sources was the oldest part of the old Nishapur and acted as the governmental center and later as one of city quarter. One of the first faunal remains of kohandež was discovered during excavations of joint Irano- French expedition in 2004 and 2005. Nearly 2470 pieces of animal bones were found in these excavations, and this article presents the results of archaeozoological studies on the collection. The main volume of the remains can be dated to the early Islamic period up to the 7th H./13th CE, and a small portion, based on the results of absolute dating, belongs to the Sassanid as well as the late Parthian period. This paper is also attempts to gain a better understanding of subsistence economy of Nishapur by evaluating the faunal remains of kohandež and studying written sources focusing on the early Islamic period to the Mongol invasion. The paper also aims to identify the exploited animals in Old City of Nishapūr by attempting a reconstruction of animal based human diet and the role of livestock and stockbreeding in such aspects of the local society as diet, farming, trade, and transportation. The results indicate that sheep and goat were were in the most exploited animals not only for meat but also for providing by products such as milk and in particular wool a particularly precious material for the textile industry.