A scientific conference unites archaeologists from Europe, Central Asia, and the USA in Bulgaria for the first time
Between 2 and 6 October 2024, the Sofia History Museum’s conference room hosted the second meeting of the Middle Ages working group of the International Council for Archaeozoology, which focused on domestic and game animals from the 7th to the 16th century.
The meeting was organised by the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia (NMNHS) and the National Archaeological Institute with Museum (NAIM), with the partnership of the Sofia History Museum and the International Council for Archaeozoology (ICAZ).
This is the first archaeozoological-themed conference in Bulgaria. The event gathered over 50 scientists from 15 countries in Europe, Central Asia, and the US, all working with medieval fauna, who shared their expertise and knowledge with leading specialists on the subject of archaeozoology and cast new light on human-animal relationships in the Middle Ages.
The conference’s main speakers were Dr David Orton from the University of York and Prof. Dr Zlatozar Boev from the NMNHS.
Dr David Orton discussed his studies on small fauna (fish and rodents) and the exciting RATUS project, which is focused on medieval trading routes and the spread of the plague in Europe.
Prof. Dr Zlatozar Boev presented an overview of sub-fossil remains of birds from the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdoms with his report titled Birds and People in Medieval Bulgaria.
Other interesting reports included topics such as the use of sheep and goat knucklebones as game elements in medieval towns and villages East of the Carpathians, the interaction between humans and animals in the Venetian Lagoon, and the analyses of data from remains of medieval fortresses and villages, DNA analyses, pig pathologies, and others.
During one of the conference days, the participants joined a medieval game tournament organised by the Centre for Informal Education and Cultural Activity ALOS, which contributed to an authentic atmosphere at the event and was very popular with the participants and guests.
The event was patronised by UNESCO and financially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund (with contract KP-06-MNF/33 from 12.08.2024) and the Balkan Heritage Foundation.
With over 500 members, the International Council for Archaeozoology is the biggest non-domestic organisation of archaeozoologists that gives researchers working with animal remains the opportunity to organise themed meetings within a working group framework, network, exchange research data, and offer support to students interested in attending scientific forums on the subject.
You can discover more about the event on the official conference site: https://mwgsofia2024.weebly.com/.
