Animals and pastoral groups in the mountainous Ömerli district of Southeast Anatolia

Abstract

Southeast Anatolia has been an ideal place for pastoralism since the Neolithic period. However, there is a lack of information on human–animal relationships from both archaeological settlements and contemporary societies in the region. Through ethnographic fieldwork and exploratory case studies in the mountainous Ömerli district, we explored the dependency and complex relationships between pastoral groups and various animal species in Southeast Anatolia. The case studies revealed affectionate and emotional bonds between shepherds and some individuals of domestic herds, similar to pet–human relationships in urban societies. Shepherds gave human names to certain animals; sometimes these were the names of their close friends or the names of their own children. Grief and prolonged grief was also common among Ömerli shepherds following the loss, death, or sale of these emotionally bonded animals. It was further observed that a single species (domestic or wild) often had complex and multi-purpose relationships with shepherd groups. While tortoises and hares, for instance, were used as sources of meat, the bone, blood, intestine, skin, and shell of these species were often used in traditional medicine. Although pastoral groups are completely dependent on domestic herds for their basic subsistence, Ömerli shepherds were observed to be regular hunters. It appears that the economic benefits were not the only promoters for pastoral subsistence in the study area; compassion and emotional affection for particular animals also reinforced enthusiasm for the practice. Therefore, it can be argued that the data obtained from pastoral villages in the mountainous Ömerli district help us understand interactions and relationships between humans and nonhuman animals in pastoral societies of Southeast Anatolia.