Preliminary ethnoarchaeological research on modern animal husbandry in Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan: Integrating animal, plant and environmental data

Figures & data

Figure 1. Location of the study area.

Table 1. Seasonal variation in the climate of Iraqi Kurdistan

Figure 2. A simplified map of the local landscape around the modern village and archaeological mound of Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan. GPS Points: Plant, soil and water sample locations from the river catchment area, farmed alluvial plains and limestone foothills (referenced in text).

Figure 3. A goat herd daily grazing near to the archaeological mound in the river catchment area, Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan, spring 2012.

Table 2. Key ethnographic and experimental dung research by theme with references

Table 3. Key archaeological dung research by theme with references

Table 4. Identification and location of collected plant samples with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values

Table 5. Results of x-ray fluorescence, results displayed as major elements in weight per cent and trace elements in parts per million (ppm)

Table 6. Semi-quantitative results of minerals present from x-ray diffraction*

Table 7. Results for P₂O₅ values recorded by the lab-based XRF and the results for phosphorus taken using the pXRF analyser

Table 8. Households interviewed

Table 9. Questionnaires results from two families in relation to animal management in the past*

Table 10. Questionnaires results from three families in relation to present animal and plant management*

Table 11. Seasonal husbandry practices and land use

Figure 4. Sheep and goats daily grazing in fallow fields, on the alluvial flood plain Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan, summer 2012.

Figure 5. View towards the limestone Zagros foothills, looking northeast, from the village of Bestansur.

Figure 6. Strontium isotope ratios from plants growing on the foothills, fields and river catchment area (mound).

Figure 7. Sheep and goats being temporarily penned in fallow fields during the summer.

Figure 8. Cattle kept in yards/enclosures within the village.

Figure 9. Animals, plants and the local economy. Simplified diagram of inputs/outputs and local/regional consumption.

Figure 10. Phytoliths and spherulites have been extracted and quantified from the dung collected from sheep/goat pens and cow sheds in Bestansur. 1: Dung samples being collected from sheep/goat pens. 2: Spherulites from sample ‘Household 2 #2’. 3: Spherulites from ‘Household 2 #3’. 4: Multicelled elongate dendritic husk phytoliths from Hordeum (barley) from ‘House hold 2 #4’. 5: Multicelled elongate smooth phytolith from grass stem/leaves from sample ‘House hold 2, cow far end’. 6: Stacked multicelled bulliform phytoliths from Phragmites (reed) from sample ‘Household 1 cow #1’. 7: Multicelled elongate dendritic husk phytoliths from Triticum (wheat) from sample ‘Household 1-Cow dung heap’.

Table 12. Results of phosphorus values, spherulite and phytolith extraction from modern dung samples*

Figure 11. Normal distribution for sheep/goat and cow dung showing the bell-shaped density curve described by its mean and standard deviation. The Peak represents the mean and the spread either side of the mean is determined by the standard deviation.

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