Journal Analele Banatului N.S. Archaeology-History

Georgeta El Susi

Cristian Oprean

Particularități ale vieții spirituale ale comunităților neolitice de la Parța (județul Timiș) prin prisma datelor arheozoologice / Peculiarities of the spiritual life of the Neolithic communities from Parța (Timiș County) in terms of archaeozoological data

Jan. 1, 2022

Abstract

The faunal material that is the subject of this archaeozoological project comes from archaeological research on a Neo-Eneolithic settlement located on the border of Parţa village (Timiş County). The settlement represents one of the most important Neolithic settlements in northern Banat, and is believed to have been one of the region’s major settlements in the late Neolithic period. The numerous archaeological research campaigns have determined numerous data related to the spiritual life of the prehistoric communities in Parța, highlighted by the research of the two sanctuaries and the observations about ritual practices outside the shrines (house altars, ritual deposits, etc.). In most cases, these communities expressed in various ritual forms their veneration and gratitude to the gods, using animals or parts of them to perform these rituals. In this paper we want to address those issues related to the usage of animals (or animal parts) in ritual practices, insisting on the identified taxa and the distribution of animal remains in ritual complexes, continuing with the interpretation of the data obtained. Finally, we want to discuss possible hypotheses related to ritual practices, argued by paleofaunal data.