The Koznik fortress menu: archaeozoological insights into the diet during the late medieval and early modern periods

Mladenović, Teodora and Mladenović, Mladen and Bulić, Dejan (2026) The Koznik fortress menu: archaeozoological insights into the diet during the late medieval and early modern periods. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 72. ISSN 2352-409X

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Abstract

The Koznik fortress, located on the western slopes of Mount Kopaonik, 9 km west of Aleksandrovac in southern Serbia, occupies a dominant position at 922 m, overlooking the Rasina River. Built on the foundations of an ancient predecessor, the fortress flourished during the latter half of the 14th century and during the 15th century. The Upper Town has an almost triangular base adjusted to the terrain configuration and was fortified with eight towers, while the Suburb developed south of the fortress. From its earliest mention in 1381, Koznik remained under Serbian rule until 1425–1427, after which it passed under Ottoman control while retaining its strategic importance until its abandonment in the late 17th century, with a brief interruption between 1451 and 1453, when it was once again under Serbian administration. Archaeological investigations have been carried out at Koznik on several occasions, with the most recent campaigns in 2019 and 2022 focusing on the Upper Town and the Suburb. The analysed faunal assemblage derives from these excavations and constitutes the first archaeozoological dataset from both late medieval and early modern period layers of the fortress. The results reveal significant differences in the exploitation of domestic and wild animals across the settlement zones and through time. These patterns provide insights into dietary dynamics, access to more valuable meat portions, and practices related to the use of secondary animal products. Beyond illuminating aspects of everyday life at Koznik, these findings help to fill the gap in archaeozoological evidence for the late medieval and particularly the early modern period in Serbia, establishing an essential foundation for future studies on animal husbandry, diet, and economic practices in this still underexplored context

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