ZooNotes 111: 1-3 (2017) …111… www.zoonotes.bio.uni-plovdiv.bg ISSN 1313-9916 Accepted: 19 June 2017 Университетско издателство “Паисий Хилендарски” Published: 23 June 2017 Plovdiv University Press “Paisii Hilendarski” 1 Late Neolithic and Late Antiquity avian finds of Chavdarova Cheshma (Simeonovgrad, Haskovo Region) ZLATOZAR BOEV National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Blvd. Tsar Osvoboditel, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria, boev@nmnhs.com; zlatozarboev@gmail.com Abstract. A total of 6 taxa of 1(2) domestic and 4(5) wild birds have been identified, among them two critically endangered (Anser erythropus and Otis tarda), one endangered (Gyps fulvus) and one vulnerable (Aquila chrysaetos). In addition Gallus gallus domestica and Anser anser ? domestica have been recorded. Chicken find came of Late Antiquity (3-4 century AD), and all other finds are dated Late Neolithic (4900-4850 BC). Key words: Subfossil, birds, Holocene. Introduction The prehistoric settlement is situated in the Chavdarova Cheshma locality in the periphery of the town of Simeonovgrad (Haskovo Region). It was located on the right bank of Maritsa River (Georgiev et al., 2016). The first excavations started in the 1960-s and materials and structures from the Early and Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze and Iron ages, as well as Roman and Medieval periods, have been revealed. The rescue excavations in 2014-2015 because of the constructing of the Maritsa Highway in the region revealed best the Late Neolithic settlement of ca. 200 decares. The pottery features allowed to date these materials to the phases III and III/IV of the Karanovo culture (i. e. 2nd half of the 6th millennium BC (Georgiev et al., 2016). Material and Methods Recently (May, 2017) a small sample of avian finds been handed for examination by MSc Nadezhda Karastoyanova (NMNHS – BAS). They originated from the archaeological excavations (May-July 2015; depth 4.76-6.89 m) and are dated late Neolithic (Karanovo IV culture), i. e. 4900-4850 BC. Only one find (No 17 237, chicken) came of Late Antiquity (3-4 century AD) (N. Karastoyanova – unpubl. data). The finds have been identified through the comparative osteological collections of the Vertebrate Animals Department of the National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. They are kept at the same department. Results and Discussion A total of 6 taxa of 1(2) domestic and 4(5) wild birds have been identified (Table 1). Four species are listed in the Bulgarian Red Data Book. Two species are critically endangered (Anser erythropus and Otis tarda), one is endangered (Gyps fulvus) and one is vulnerable (Aquila chrysaetos) (Golemanski et al., 2015). The presence of a find of domestic chicken confirms once again the wide distribution of that bird on the Balkans in the Antiquity. Until now the oldest record of Gallus gallus domestica came from the late Chalcolithic settlement near Hotnitsa village (Veliko Tarnovo