Avifauna: general observations

The avian assemblage of Klimonas (Cyprus, PPNA) comprises only 74 bones, but it shows a wide diversity with 14 taxa identified. While the Anatidae group is well represented, with at least six goose and dabbling duck species, the great bustard (Otis tarda) is the most abundant bird with 20.6% of the identified bones. Ducks and geese are mainly represented by skeletal wing parts, whereas the distal limb parts dominate for the great bustard. Most of the diurnal and nocturnal raptor remains are pedal phalanges. Except a few goose and bustard bones modified for possible use as tools or containers, no butchery traces were noticed. This avifauna comprises a high proportion of wetland taxa (ducks, geese, coots, marsh harriers), all current winter visitors. The composition is very similar to that found at the nearby Late Epipaleolithic site of Akrotiri-Aetokremnos. This suggests that environmental conditions in the southern part of Cyprus had changed little in the Early Holocene compared to the Younger Dryas. The striking resemblance between the avifaunas of Klimonas and Akrotiri-Aetokremnos shows that both groups of bird hunters focused on more or less the same species. Otis tarda was probably a prime game species for the first inhabitants of the island because of its abundance, its large size and its gregarious behaviour. Hunting of great bustards, waterfowl and raptors was also common at contemporary sites in the continental Near East.