Something new about the castle life. An archaeozoological perspective to castle and economy at the Deserted Castle Pustýhrad/Pusztavár in Zvolen/Zólyom

The paper focuses on the results of the archaeozoological analysis of finds from the research of a residential tower at the Deserted Castle – Lower Castle (Pustýhrad – Dolnýhrad/Pusztavár – Alsóvár) in Zvolen in Central Slovakia. The construction and use of the residential tower at the Lower Castle are dated to the 13th century with its gradual dissolution at the beginning of the 14th century. The castle is in the famous medieval outskirts of the Zvolen Forest. The osteological remains from the Deserted Castle contained 3,633 fragments weighing roughly 19.3 kg. The series was dominated by domestic animals (cattle, pig, sheep/goat, dog, cat, etc.), with fewer hunted animals (roe deer, red deer, hare, squirrel, etc.). There were also remains of commensal species, frogs, and malacofauna. The archaeozoological finds also included bones of birds, which belonged not only to the domestic species (domestic hen, goose, duck, domestic pigeon), but also wild species (pheasant, quail, jay, falcon, etc.). The archaeological fauna samples featured predominantly kitchen waste, but they also allow us to explore the natural environment in the castle vicinity. Finally, the analysis has also provided insights into the eating habits of inhabitants and can testify to the economic reality of the surveyed castle.