The analysis done upon the animal findings of the 2015 Aradetis Orgora excavation campaign by Veronica Scandellari consisted in preliminary observations of the animal bones both on the field and in the house laboratory. The bones have been washed, restored, photographed and recognised by direct observation (E. Schmidt, Atlas of Animal Bones for Prehistorians, Archaeologists and Quaternary Geologists”Amsterdam-London-New York, 1972), paying special attention to the possible presence of cut and bite marks on the surface of the bone, with the aim of recognising traces of anthropic activity. When possible, measurements were taken using the guide edited by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (A. Von Den Driesch, A Guide to the Measurement of Animal Bones from Archaeological Sites, Peabody Museum Bulletins, 1, Harvard University, 1976); for teeth findings, special analysis regarding dental wear stage were made, with the aim of indentifying the class age of the animal at death, using Annie Grant’s method, as displayed in S. Hillson, Teeth, in Cambridge Manual of Archaeology ed. by G. Barker, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
    In general, the samples collected yielded huge amounts of fragments of very small to medium/large size, which covered different stages of preservation. The cortex of the bones was eroded in many cases, and they show wide cracks due to the high weathering incidence on their preservation; in spite of this, it was possible to recognise and determine a high percentage of the findings. This allowed to understand patterns of animals distribution and use at the site, through the determination of age, size (and possibly sex) of the individuals at death.
    Faunal analysis revealed the presence of the usual domestic species of the area: Ovis/Capra, Bos, Sus, Cervus, Canis, Lepus, Equus, of rodents (Mus/Sorex and Castor), birds (in particular Cygnus,) and fish. The frequency of the various species by their numerical representation (in decreasing order) is the following: Ovis/Capra; Sus; Bos; Cervus; Equus; Lupus; Lepus; Fish; Castor; and Cygnus. Taphonomic observations on Sus findings seem to suggest that this species was neither completely domesticated nor completely wild, for the bones exhibit features in-between the two species.
    To judge from preliminary analysis animals, including both domestic and wild species, were present at the site in particularly high quantity in the Late (and possibly Middle) Bronze Age period. In particular, Late Bronze period loci 1740 and 1844 yielded huge amounts of animal bones (1065 fragments in total), although only 179 of these were diagnostic and could therefore be analysed. The analysis showed that the most represented animal was Sus (34%), followed by Bos (32%), Ovis/Capra (20%), Equus (5%), and others (Birds 3%, Rodents 2%, Fish 1%, Canis lupus 0,5%). The majority of fragments consists of arms and legs anatomical elements, which derive from the parts of the body that contain less meat (forearms and forelegs, i.e. radii and tibiae, and the bones of Carpus and Metacarpus, and Tarsus and Metatarsus). This fact leads to consider that the finds could derive from a butchering area, especially since most bones were whole or cut precisely in halves. Unfortunately, the high incidence of weather and soil agents on the preservation of the cortex probably erased in most cases the presence of possible cut marks (the few which could be identified were photographed with a microscope camera). The majority of the epiphysis belonged to young and juvenile individuals. This pattern is confirmed by the dental wear stage, which also shows a higher presence of young and juvenile individuals compared to older ones.
    The animal bones from the Kura-Araxes levels were in a very bad state of preservation. The cortex is even more deeply eroded than in those from the LB levels, the incidence of weathering and soil agents is higher. Furthermore, their contexts of recovery often consisted of ash layers, with the bones heavily affected by heat and burning. On 226 diagnostic fragments from the entire lot of KA levels, the most represented animals were Ovis/Capra (67%), followed by Bos (14%), Cervus (7,5%), Sus (4%), Lepus (3%) and others (Birds 2,2%, Lupus 0,4%, Fish 0,4%, Equus 0,4%, Castor 0,4%). This displays a pattern where hunting was still a main feeding resource besides sheep/goat breeding.
    Finally, two graves from the Doghlauri cemetery contained some animal bones. The conditions of preservation of these fragments was unfortunately very poor: in fact the bones had been affected by weather and soil agents, and their cortical layer was completely eroded.
    Two species have been identified from Grave 7 of Late Bronze period. The sample consists of a small amount of fragments:
- 1 Cattle radius broken just under the proximal epiphysis, which belonged to a right arm. It is possible to recognise the fusion line with its ulna, which is lacking. No accurate measure can be taken, but the breadth of the proximal epiphysis is ca. 8 cm, suggesting a middle-sized animal, possibly a juvenile individual;
- 1 broken bone from the distal row of the Carpus of a Cattle (capitato trapezoide), still from the right arm. Also in this case it was impossible to take precise measurements, but the breadth of the fragment is ca. 3 cm, which suggests again a middle-sized individual, possibly a juvenile;
- Various small fragments belonging to a Sheep/goat maxilla in the zygomatic area of the cranium, with 8 teeth no more in locus. The teeth are broken and eroded as the rest of the bone sample; they had completely lost their enamel layers, so that it is impossible to try any attribution of age of death of the individual. Anyway, the teeth are very small, and the presence of the empty crown of a Molar suggests that it was still in eruption at the moment of death, an event that generally occurs between 9 and 12 months. This observation is still uncertain, because the determination of the age of death by the eruption of teeth is more precise using mandibles;
- 1 unfused half distal epiphysis of a Sheep/goat Metacarpus or Metatarsus, more likely the second one, which suggests an infant or juvenile individual, for the distal epiphysis in these bones start to fuse after 12 months in sheep/goat.
    One species has been identified from the various uncertain fragments contained in Grave 12, also of the Late Bronze period:
- 1 fragment of Incisura radialis from a left Cattle ulna, measuring ca. 3 cm, which is coherent with the dimensions of the radius found in Grave 7.     The presence in both graves of bones belonging to the same skeletal region, possibly killed at the same stage of life (juvenile), may suggest the habit to offer Cattle forearms to the buried individuals, a custom which may appear peculiar for this part of the limb is the part with less meat on it. On the other hand, one may be dealing with a deliberate choice, driven by the desire not to waste meat on burials, but at the same time to present a good offering to the dead.
    The sheep/goat bones belong to an infant individual, such as a lamb. This is the most common species used throughout human history both for ritual and for burial offerings; its presence in the Doghlauri graves further confirms the worldwide diffusion of this custom. According to one theory, lambs are so often chosen for such offerings because sheep and goats breed more frequently than cattle, and the statistics related to successful pregnancies are higher for sheep and goat than for cattle.