Cooking deer in the 2nd c. BC on the South‐Western Black sea coast: preliminary results of the Malkoto Kale project

International audienceLed by M. Bastide and T. Bogdanova, the Malkoto Kale project is carried out in the framework of the French-Bulgarian archaeological mission at Apollonia Pontica (dir. A. Baralis, K. Panayotova and D. Nedev) in collaboration with the Archaeological Museum of Sozopol (Bulgaria). The study focuses on the site of Malkoto Kale, a fortified settlement located 12 km to the South of the ancient Greek city of Apollonia, on a peak about 280 mhigh, partially excavated during the 1970s. The new excavation campaign of August and September 2020 has provided very interesting results. In sq. P8-Q8, the excavations revealed an important building of the Late Hellenistic period. At its SW corner, near the Southern fortification wall, we uncovered an area where various domestic activities seem to be concentrated : spinning, weaving, grinding and an uncommon way of cooking.Indeed, a fireplace associated with an amphora containing deer bones was discovered in the same area. The archaeozoological analysis proved that the deer was prepared for eating, and probably stored in the amphora. This discovery reveals an uncommon cooking of game products, in a context disturbed by military events. Moreover, the results of faunal remains studies in the city of Apollonia Pontica will enable to compare the eating practices between urban and fortified settlements during the Hellenistic period