Comparison of meat consumption in the lower city and the upper city in the Early Bronze Age settlement of Küllüoba

Küllüoba Mound is located 35 km southeast of the city of Eskişehir, near the village of Yazıdere-Yenikent, approximately 1300 m to the south. This settlement, situated in the central part of the western region of the Upper Sakarya Plains, is elevated about 10 meters above the plain level. The excavations at Küllüoba Mound, initiated under the direction of Turan Efe in 1996, have been continued under the leadership of Murat Türkteki since 2019. The settlement at Küllüoba extends from the end of the Late Chalcolithic period to the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age. Excavations have revealed a significant expansion during the Middle Bronze Age II, and the architecture uncovered in this period further emphasizes the importance of the Middle Bronze Age II. This period, marked by significant developments, witnessed the more distinct delineation of boundaries between the Lower and Upper Towns in Küllüoba. The selection of this period for the thesis study is influenced by these developments. In this thesis, an investigation of the red meat menu is conducted based on the archaeozoological data from the Middle Bronze Age II, considering the animal bone remains found in the Lower and Upper Towns. The science of zooarchaeology primarily focuses on various topics such as human-animal relationships, subsistence economies, and herd systems based on animal remains identified in settlements. However, in this thesis, a different approach has been adopted as the main goal. In this thesis, various macrofaunal identification methods have been employed. However, generally, the analysis is conveyed using Skeleton Element Distribution and the distribution of the Meat-Carrying Ratio of Bone (KETO). KETO is a method created based on research conducted by Becker in 1995, focusing on findings from Kastanas. She has classified bone remains of different body parts of animals into four meat value classes and mentioned recording quantities for specific areas. In light of the archaeozoological studies in Küllüoba, the red meat menu for Lower Town and Upper Town (Complex II) in EBA II Period has been explained accordingly.