Distinct modes and intensity of bird exploitation at the dawn of agriculture in the Upper Euphrates and Tigris River basins

Early Neolithic avifaunas excavated at the sites of Göbekli Tepe and Gusir Höyük illustrate two entirely different modes of bird exploitation in south-eastern Anatolia during the 10th and 9th millennia BCE, which prompted us the re-evaluation of other substantial bird bone assemblages from contemporaneous sites in the upper basins of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. We thus compared the range and diversity of species captured, seasonal aspects of bird hunting, and types of habitats exploited by Near Eastern communities of foragers at the dawn of agriculture. Fowling practices in the Upper Euphrates catchment aimed at multiple avifaunal resources in varied habitats explaining high taxonomic diversity in the respective assemblages. Overall, the proportions of birds, mammals and fish in the diet were similar in all sites. In contrast, meat diet in the Upper Tigris River basin proved less culturally uniform. The contribution of birds, fish and mammals to the diet varied significantly between sites. Our study also showed that avifaunal diversity was very low at some sites in the Tigris basin suggesting an overall limited interest and time commitment to this economic activity there. An intensification of bird hunting in autumn and winter was observed in both areas.