To the Question of Providing Meat Products to the Medieval City of Bolgar

The results of archaeozoological study of collections of bone remains of animals from 7 excavations investigated in 2012–16 on the Bolgar fortified setlement are represented in the paper. The research was carried out by the author according to the methodical scheme developed at the Institute of archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The osteological spectra and spectra of meat consumption at excavations located in different parts of the site have been analyzed concerning three cultural and chronological horizons: the Pre-Mongolian, the Early Horde and the Late Horde horizons. It was revealed that in all epochs the beef was main meat product of the townspeople, while lamb and horse meat supplemented the protein diet. The settlements of the nearest city district where domestic ungulates were bred were the source of meat. In the early Golden Horde period, new handicraft industries appeared in Bolgar, which processed sheep skins in large quantities. For these industries, small cattle were supplied from nomadic steppe farms, and the meat of slaughtered animals was fed to the citizens, which increased the share of lamb in the spectra of meat consumption throughout the city during the Golden Horde period. The most powerful accumulations of bone remains of small cattle are recorded in the central part of the Golden Horde Bolgar directly in the territory of the craft quarter. Isotope studies of paleo-diets of animals from excavations in the central part of the ancient settlement confirmed the origin of cows and horses from the forest-steppe area of the city, and sheep from arid steppe areas.