Animal Remains from Tel Reḥov Economy and Culture in the Iron Age Settlement

The Iron Age settlement at Tel Reḥov has yielded a large and well-preserved faunal assemblage. Zooarchaeological analysis of these animal remains from the Iron Age is used to discuss aspects of settlement economy, examining both development through time and similarity with contemporaneous assemblages. The results show that the animal economy at the site was not very different from contemporary valley sites in the Southern Levant, but suggest a certain development of the pastoral economy between the Iron Age I and II. In addition, some insights pertaining to the symbolic use of animals can be gleaned from the faunal remains, specifically in respect to side preferences.