Lambs to the Slaughter: A Zooarchaeological Investigation of Stone Circles in Mongolia

Abstract

Stone circles are a common monumental feature of the Mongolian Bronze Age (c. 1500-800BC), frequently occurring in association with other monument types, especially khirigsuurs. Until now the content of the stone circles has not been identified, a fact which has hampered our understanding not only of khirigsuurs and their related cosmology but also of the contemporary economy, owing to a research paradigm that was monument-focused until very recently. The identification of domestic bovids in these features thus has profound implications for our approach to studying the society of this period and region. These implications, including a well-developed cosmology and economy which included the ritual sacrifice of at least three different kinds of livestock, are introduced here. Copyright