Pages: 632-639

The article studies the osteological evidence found in layers of V—VI cc. AD on Semenki settlement situated in the modern Vinnitsa Oblast’. Due to the small size of the sample it was difficult to identify any features of the breeds of the domestic animals reared on the settlement. Overall, the settlement can be characterized as having a well-developed animal husbandry, which could meet every need of the population, and hunting therefore was of no particular significance. The population seem to have practiced pasturing in summer and home feeding in winter. A wide diversity is marked in animal husbandry practiced by the early Slavic population in Ukraine, which can be explained both by location of different settlements in different natural environments and by their belonging to different early Slavic tribes. Structure of domestic and wild animals tells that the studied settlement was set against the forest-steppe landscape at the time.

Keywords: Animal Farming, Hunting, Semenki Settlement, Slavic tribes