Can these bones live again? An analysis of the non-canid, mammalian faunal remains from the Achaemenid period occupation of Tel Ashkelon, Israel

Tel Ashkelon lies on the southern coast of modern day Israel. In antiquity it was the site of an occupation spanning the Chalcolithic through Crusader/Islamic periods. During the Achaemenid period (circa 539--333 B.C.E.), the Phoenician city-state of Tyre, a vassal of the Achaemenid Empire, controlled Ashkelon for the Persian Empire. Harvard University-sponsored excavations conducted by the Leon Levy Expedition have revealed a rich deposit of Achaemenid period remains including large quantities of animal bone. Examination of a sample of these faunal remains suggests changes in the animal economy reflective of the use of the site during the early Achaemenid period as a strategic communications and supply center for Persian troops campaigning against Egypt. This is followed in the mid-Achaemenid period by the use of a substantial portion of the site for the disposal of thousands of dog carcasses in a massive "dog cemetery" and by a local economy affected by a permanently garrisoned Persian military presence at this strategic urban center. In the later phases of the Achaemenid period the animal economy of the site reflects the departure of the Persian garrison and an improvement in the local economy corresponding to the increased autonomy and sometime independence of the Phoenician cities during the waning years of the Persian Empire.