Fish from some archeological sites of Ukraine (2022)

Study Extent

During 2018, definitions were received ichthyological remains from excavations of different years, mainly in 2016-2018, but also from 1980s. This dataset was prepared (correctly organized according to Darwin Core standards) and published with the help of the financial support of Center for Environmental Initiatives Ecoaction (https://en.ecoaction.org.ua/).

Sampling

The material was obtained mainly by filtering soil from objects (6 monuments), as well as by classical methods of archeology (3 monuments). That's all counted of 6524 remains of bones, scales and fish teeth. These are mostly materials from Kyrylivs'ka archaeological site, 37 for 2016 — 6,257 remains. The definition of the elements of the skeleton is completed with the help of the bone atlas of V. Radu (Radu, V. 2005. Atlas for the identification of bony fish bones from archaeological sites. Bucharest: Editura Contrast), as well as by its own comparative by the osteological collection of fish, created at I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kutsokon, Yu. K. Osteological collection of fish in the funds of the I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In: Zagorodnyuk, I. (ed.). Nature museums: role in education and science: Materials of the IV International scientific conference. Kyiv, 2, p. 56-58). Scales were determined by the same comparative collection. Names of families and species of fish are listed in the work (Kutsokon, Yu. K., Kvach, Yu. V. 2012. Ukrainian names of lampreys and fish fauna of Ukraine for scientific use. Biological studies, 6, 2, pp. 199-220). In some cases, when identifying some remnants, the authors consulted with Ye. Yanish (I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). For some residues it was possible to determine the length of the individual, using collection samples with a known length in proportion.

Quality Control

The authors are fully responsible for the quality of data provided within the dataset.

Method steps

1. Finding fish remnants in the archaeological site during excavation process.
2. Transporting the remnants (scales, bones and teeth) to the institute.
3. Identifying of the species of fish according to standard methods.
4. Finding out the approximate age of the remnants according to the date given to the settlemnt of other type of archaeological site studied.
5. Georeferencing.

The dataset consists of records identified based on fish remnants (Actinopterygii class).

1. Animalia
   rank: kingdom
2. Chordata
   rank: phylum
3. Actinopterygii
   rank: class
4. Cypriniformes
   rank: order
5. Acipenseriformes
   rank: order
6. Perciformes
   rank: order
7. Siluriformes
   rank: order
8. Esociformes
   rank: order

The dataset covers the archaeological sites situated on the territory of Ukraine.