S221 VETERINARSKI ARHIV 76 (Suppl.), S221-S228, 2006 Archaeozoological research on red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) from Croatian archaeological sites Tajana Trbojević Vukičević 1 *, Tatjana Tušek 2 , Krešimir Babić 1 , and Vesna Gjurčević Kantura 1 1 Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb, Croatia 2 Agricultural College Križevci, Croatia TRBOJEVIĆ VUKIČEVIĆ, T., T. TUŠEK, K. BABIĆ, V. GJURČEVIĆ KANTURA: Archaeozoological research on red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) from Croatian archaeological sites. Vet. arhiv 76, S221-S228, 2006. ABSTRACT Some archaeozoological analyses that were made at the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb from 1996-2005 are presented. The abundance of red deer bones among the osteological material from archaeological sites suggests that the species was an important game animal and that prehistoric people were keen red deer hunters. Even though the red deer were hunted primarily for meat in all periods, their skin was probably used to make clothes and their bones and antlers were used as raw material for the production of agricultural and household tools. Key words: archaeozoology, red deer, archaeological sites, Croatia Introduction In the Republic of Croatia, the study of faunal remains from archaeological sites, that is archaeozoological analysis, has been conducted systematically since 1996 at the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb. Thanks to collaboration with archeologists dealing with excavations at numerous sites throughout Croatia, we are able to analyse a huge amount of animal osteological material. Among the animal remains from archaeological sites bones of red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) almost always play an important role. Red deer hunting has been a part of human life from prehistoric times through the Middle Ages until nowadays. * Contact address: Dr. Tajana Trbojević Vukičević, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Veterinary Faculty University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia, Phone: + 385 1 2390 225; E-mail: tajana@vef.hr ISSN 0372-5480 Printed in Croatia