Pastoral societies of mardin province in southeast anatolia –some anthrozoological aspects

Abstract

Human first started domesticating animals at least 11,000 years ago in the Levant and Central Anatolia. Gradually the idea of animal controlling process, along with agricultural practice, spread throughout Africa, Asia and continental Europe and eventually transformed the face of the world. Archaeozoological evidences suggest that the process of animal domestication was actually occurred in a new way of human-animal interactions which was totally unknown to previous hunter-gatherers. Mardin region is located in the central point of northern Fertile Crescent. Archaeological settlements near and around this region provide the evidence of human-animal relationships in Early Neolithic societies which essentially promoted the early domestication process. However, the dimensions of present human-animal interactions are far different than the early stage, and therefore, Mardin region is a crucial place to study different facts and status in pastoral societies, particularly focusing on anthrozoological perspectives. Unfortunately very few attempts have yet been taken regarding this issue in southeast Anatolia. This field research, thus, aimed to observe the status of pastoralism and human-animal relationships in pastoral societies of Mardin providence.