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Sierra A, Navarrete V, Alcàntara R, Camalich MD, Martín-Socas D, Fiorillo D, McGrath K, Saña M. Shepherding the past: High-resolution data on Neolithic Southern Iberian livestock management at Cueva de El Toro (Antequera, Málaga). PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299786. [PMID: 38568879 PMCID: PMC10990244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The feeding strategies of the first domesticated herds had to manage the risks arising from the novelty of livestock practices in territories often distant from the animals' primary habitats. The Iberian Peninsula is characterised by a great diversity of environments, which undoubtedly influenced these dynamics. At the beginning of the Neolithic period these led the possibility to combine diverse livestock farming practices based on different animal feeding habits. This variability is also consistent with the rythms of adoption of domesticated animals, being later on the northern area. In order to address this issue, this work focuses on the dietary regimes of early sheep herds from southern Iberia, an area for which information is currently scarce. This study utilises high-resolution radiocarbon dating and stable isotope data on teeth to investigate sheep husbandry management strategies in Cueva de El Toro (Antequera, Málaga). The radiocarbon dates on the analysed remains evidenced they were deposited at the site over a short period, supporting the recurrent use of the cave. The sequential analysis of oxygen and carbon isotopes in tooth enamel reveals distinct livestock management strategies, reproduction patterns, feeding habits, and mobility during this short period. This variability demonstrates that livestock management practices in the western Mediterranean are more diverse than previously considered. Furthermore, these findings support the hypothesis that early Neolithic communities in the southern Iberian Peninsula were able to adopt different feeding strategies within the same herd, depending on their ecological and productive needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Sierra
- Departament de Prehistòria, Laboratori d’Arqueozoologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Vanessa Navarrete
- Institución Milá y Fontanals de Estudios en Humanidades del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Grupo de Arqueología de las Dinámicas Sociales, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger Alcàntara
- Departament de Prehistòria, Laboratori d’Arqueozoologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - María Dolores Camalich
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de la Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Dimas Martín-Socas
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de la Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Denis Fiorillo
- AASPE «Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques, Environnements» CNRS, MNHN, Paris, France
| | - Krista McGrath
- Departament de Prehistòria, Laboratori d’Arqueozoologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA - UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Maria Saña
- Departament de Prehistòria, Laboratori d’Arqueozoologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA - UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
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Blanz M, Balasse M, Frémondeau D, Gál E, Osztás A, Biller AZ, Nyerges ÉÁ, Fiorillo D, Bánffy E, Ivanova M. Early Neolithic pastoral land use at Alsónyék-Bátaszék, Hungary (Starčevo culture): New insights from stable isotope ratios. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295769. [PMID: 38085722 PMCID: PMC10715649 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The earliest introduction of livestock (cattle, goats, sheep, pigs) into the Carpathian Basin was an important step towards farming expansion into continental Europe. This spread beyond the environments of the southern Balkans was accompanied by a reduction in the spectrum of cultivated crops, changes in the relative representation of different domestic animals, and, most likely, adaptations of husbandry practices. How the earliest farmers in the Carpathian Basin kept their domestic stock is still understudied. We explored early animal management and land use strategies at the Starčevo settlement at Alsónyék-Bátaszék, Hungary (Early Neolithic, ca. 5800-5600 cal BC). Settled at the intersection of wide alluvial plains, waterlogged meadows and marshes to the east, and forested hills to the west, early farmers at Alsónyék had a wide variety of options for nourishing their livestock. We performed stable isotope ratio analysis of bone collagen (n = 99; δ13C, δ15N) and tooth enamel (nteeth = 28, sequentially sampled for δ13C and δ18O) from wild and domestic animals to locate them in the landscape and investigate herding practices on a seasonal scale. The bone collagen isotope ratios mostly indicate feeding in open environments. However, results from the sequential analysis of cattle and sheep enamel suggest diverse dietary strategies for winters, including consumption of forest resources, consumption of summer hay and grazing in an open environment. Most pigs appear to have had herbivorous diets, but several individuals likely supplemented their diet with animal protein. Stable isotope ratio results from the Lengyel phase at Alsónyék (ca. 4800-4300 cal BC) suggest more access to animal protein for pigs, and feeding in more open areas by wild boar, red deer and cattle compared to the Starčevo phase. This study's results demonstrate considerable variability in early animal husbandry practices at Alsónyék.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Blanz
- Vienna Institute of Archaeological Science (VIAS), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Human Evolution and Archaeological Sciences (HEAS), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marie Balasse
- AASPE ‘Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements’, CNRS/MNHN, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Frémondeau
- Centre for Archaeological Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Erika Gál
- Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anett Osztás
- Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Éva Á. Nyerges
- Department of Archaeology, Savaria Museum, Szombathely, Hungary
| | - Denis Fiorillo
- AASPE ‘Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements’, CNRS/MNHN, Paris, France
| | - Eszter Bánffy
- Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Budapest, Hungary
- Römisch-Germanische Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maria Ivanova
- Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Barbas JP, Pimenta J, Baptista MC, Marques CC, Pereira RMLN, Carolino N, Simões J. Ram Semen Cryopreservation for Portuguese Native Breeds: Season and Breed Effects on Semen Quality Variation. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040579. [PMID: 36830367 PMCID: PMC9951670 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The semen quality is one of the determinant factors of ram semen cryopreservation. The present retrospective study aimed to characterize the seasonal ram pattern during the year for ten Portuguese local sheep breeds, hypothesizing that the breed and season had low effects on the main spermatozoa traits. A total of 1471 ejaculates were used and evaluated (fresh semen) from 85 rams between 2004 and 2020 and re-evaluated after thawing (thawed semen). The effect of breed, season, and sperm cryopreservation on nine semen traits were evaluated. The volume per ejaculate, spermatozoa (SPZ) concentration, and total number of SPZ per ejaculate, were affected by breed (p < 0.001) but not by season (p > 0.05). As expected, the semen processing was the most significant (p < 0.001) factor of variation on seminal parameters. Moreover, breed and interactions between breed × semen processing, modulated the response of alive SPZ, abnormal morphology, head, and intermediate piece defects. In fresh semen, season only affected the intermediate piece defects due to the highest percentage observed between February and April period in some breeds. Overall, and despite the mentioned particularities, there were similarities among the ten local breeds. We also concluded that the seasonal effect on ejaculate and SPZ traits is not significant in our region. These local ram breeds have low seasonality and can be employed in natural mating as well as semen donors for cryopreservation and assisted reproductive biotechnologies during the whole year at our latitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Pedro Barbas
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Resources of Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048 Vale de Santarém, Portugal
- CIISA-AL4AnimalS-Faculty of Veterinary Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jorge Pimenta
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Resources of Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048 Vale de Santarém, Portugal
- CIISA-AL4AnimalS-Faculty of Veterinary Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Conceição Baptista
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Resources of Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048 Vale de Santarém, Portugal
| | - Carla Cruz Marques
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Resources of Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048 Vale de Santarém, Portugal
| | - Rosa Maria Lino Neto Pereira
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Resources of Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048 Vale de Santarém, Portugal
- CIISA-AL4AnimalS-Faculty of Veterinary Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nuno Carolino
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Resources of Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048 Vale de Santarém, Portugal
- CIISA-AL4AnimalS-Faculty of Veterinary Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Simões
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), AL4AnimalS, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-259-350-666
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Menant O, Ungerfeld R, Lévy F, Pérez-Clariget R, Freitas-de-Melo A. Out-of-season breeding and ewe-lamb bond from birth to weaning in Corriedale sheep. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Gillis RE, Bulatović J, Penezić K, Spasić M, Tasić NN, Makarewicz CA. Of herds and societies-Seasonal aspects of Vinča culture herding and land use practices revealed using sequential stable isotope analysis of animal teeth. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258230. [PMID: 34618838 PMCID: PMC8496836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Late Neolithic Vinča communities, spread over much of central and northern Balkans during the late sixth to mid-fifth millennium BC and characterised by unusually large and densely population centres, would have required highly organised food production systems. Zooarchaeological analysis indicates that domesticate livestock were herded, but little is known about the seasonal husbandry practices that helped ensure a steady supply of animal products to Vinča farming communities. Here, we present new stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic measurements of incremental bioapatite samples from the teeth of domesticated livestock and wild herbivore teeth from two late Neolithic Vinča culture sites: Vinča-Belo brdo and Stubline (Serbia). Our results show a low variation overall within sheep and goats in terms of pasture type that may have been composed of seasonal halophyte plant communities, which have higher δ13C values due to the saline rich growing environments. Cattle feeding strategies were more variable and provided with supplementary forage, such as cut branches or leafy hay, during winter. The sharp distinction in the management of cattle and sheep/goat may be associated with the development of herding strategies that sought to balance livestock feeding behaviours with available forage or, more provocatively, the emergence of household-based control over cattle-an animal that held a central economic and symbolic role in Vinča societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalind E. Gillis
- Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, ICArEHB, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Graduate School “Human Development in Landscapes”, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jelena Bulatović
- Faculty of Philosophy, Laboratory for Bioarchaeology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Miloš Spasić
- Department of Archaeology, Prehistoric Collection, Belgrade City Museum, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Nenad N. Tasić
- Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Archaeology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Cheryl A. Makarewicz
- Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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Seasonal calving in European Prehistoric cattle and its impacts on milk availability and cheese-making. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8185. [PMID: 33854159 PMCID: PMC8046818 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87674-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Present-day domestic cattle are reproductively active throughout the year, which is a major asset for dairy production. Large wild ungulates, in contrast, are seasonal breeders, as were the last historic representatives of the aurochs, the wild ancestors of cattle. Aseasonal reproduction in cattle is a consequence of domestication and herding, but exactly when this capacity developed in domestic cattle is still unknown and the extent to which early farming communities controlled the seasonality of reproduction is debated. Seasonal or aseasonal calving would have shaped the socio-economic practices of ancient farming societies differently, structuring the agropastoral calendar and determining milk availability where dairying is attested. In this study, we reconstruct the calving pattern through the analysis of stable oxygen isotope ratios of cattle tooth enamel from 18 sites across Europe, dating from the 6th mill. cal BC (Early Neolithic) in the Balkans to the 4th mill. cal BC (Middle Neolithic) in Western Europe. Seasonal calving prevailed in Europe between the 6th and 4th millennia cal BC. These results suggest that cattle agropastoral systems in Neolithic Europe were strongly constrained by environmental factors, in particular forage resources. The ensuing fluctuations in milk availability would account for cheese-making, transforming a seasonal milk supply into a storable product.
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Delgadillo JA, Hernández H, Abecia JA, Keller M, Chemineau P. Is it time to reconsider the relative weight of sociosexual relationships compared with photoperiod in the control of reproduction of small ruminant females? Domest Anim Endocrinol 2020; 73:106468. [PMID: 32249000 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2020.106468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In goats and sheep from the temperate and subtropical latitudes, the breeding season lasts from early autumn to late winter, whereas the anestrous season lasts from late winter to late summer. In prepubertal or postpartum females, the duration of the quiescent period depends mainly on the season of parturition and of nursing duration. In both situations, the ovulatory activity starts only during the breeding season. Photoperiod has been generally considered as a major regulator of all these periods of reproductive activity/inactivity in female sheep and goats (ie puberty, seasonal anestrus, postpartum anestrus). In particular, regarding seasonal anestrus, the sociosexual interactions between males and females have been considered to have only a modulatory role, limited to few weeks preceding the onset or after the offset of the breeding season. Nonetheless, we recently showed that the use of sexually active males plays a crucial role to trigger ovulatory and estrous activities during the anestrous season and also in prepubertal and postpartum females. In fact, in females exposed to sexually active males, puberty is strikingly advanced in comparison with females exposed to sexually inactive castrated males or to isolated females (6 mo vs 7.5 mo). Most females (>85%) exposed during the anestrous season to sexually active males ovulated, whereas a low proportion of them ovulated when in contact with sexually inactive males (<10%). Interestingly, the presence of these sexually active males allows females to ovulate all the year round and prevents the seasonal decrease of LH plasma concentrations in ovariectomized females treated with an estradiol implant. Finally, the presence of sexually active males triggers ovulation in postpartum anestrous females nursing their offspring. All these findings show that sexually active males can play an important role to reduce anestrous periods. We need, therefore, to reconsider the relative weight of sociosexual relationships, compared with photoperiod, in the management of reproduction of goat does and ewes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Delgadillo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Caprina (CIRCA), Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, 27054 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico.
| | - H Hernández
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Caprina (CIRCA), Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, 27054 Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico
| | - J A Abecia
- Departamento de Producción Animal, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Miguel Servet, 177 Zaragoza 50013, Spain
| | - M Keller
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, IFCE, INRA, Université de Tours, Agreenium, 37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - P Chemineau
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, IFCE, INRA, Université de Tours, Agreenium, 37380 Nouzilly, France
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Tornero C, Balasse M, Bréhard S, Carrère I, Fiorillo D, Guilaine J, Vigne JD, Manen C. Early evidence of sheep lambing de-seasoning in the Western Mediterranean in the sixth millennium BCE. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12798. [PMID: 32733092 PMCID: PMC7393119 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69576-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Today, sheep farmers in the Western Mediterranean de-season their ewes to achieve autumnal births. This strategy contrasts sharply with spring lambing further north, and provides benefits in terms of out-of-season availability of animal products. These competences are closely linked to specific sheep physiology and favorable Western Mediterranean climatic conditions. It is not known exactly how far back in the past the ability to de-season Mediterranean sheep breeds extends. This study shows that this practice existed seven millennia ago in Southern France, at an early stage of the major agricultural expansion of the Neolithic into the Western Mediterranean. To achieve this reproductive management regime, three prerequisites were required: (i) the ability of sheep to give birth in autumn, constituting early evidence for the genetic selection of specimens with prolonged reproductive fertility; (ii) intentional management of female and male interactions within the herd, which would have required good knowledge of the timing of the fertility cycle in ewes, and; (iii) adequate pasture resources to support lactation in the autumn, possibly favored by autumnal rains, substantiating previous paleoclimatological data for the existence of a Mediterranean-type precipitation regime at that time. Moreover, we also show that winter foddering of sheep occurred, using forest resources, and that this maintained good body weights for spring mating. These findings add pivotal information about shepherding practices and the socio-economic abilities of Early Neolithic communities, which allowed for the extension of their areas of influence from the Eastern Mediterranean area to the West during the Early Neolithic agricultural expansion in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Tornero
- Archéozoologie, archéobotanique: sociétés, Pratiques Et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum National D'histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 56, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
- Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007, Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Marie Balasse
- Archéozoologie, archéobotanique: sociétés, Pratiques Et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum National D'histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 56, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Bréhard
- Archéozoologie, archéobotanique: sociétés, Pratiques Et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum National D'histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 56, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Carrère
- Laboratoire TRACES - UMR 5608, Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès Maison de La Recherche, 5, allée Antonio Machado, 31058, Toulouse (Cedex 9), France
| | - Denis Fiorillo
- Archéozoologie, archéobotanique: sociétés, Pratiques Et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum National D'histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 56, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jean Guilaine
- Collège de France, 11, Place Marcelin-Berthelot, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Denis Vigne
- Archéozoologie, archéobotanique: sociétés, Pratiques Et Environnements (AASPE), Muséum National D'histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 56, 55 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Claire Manen
- Laboratoire TRACES - UMR 5608, Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès Maison de La Recherche, 5, allée Antonio Machado, 31058, Toulouse (Cedex 9), France
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Ivanova M, De Cupere B, Ethier J, Marinova E. Pioneer farming in southeast Europe during the early sixth millennium BC: Climate-related adaptations in the exploitation of plants and animals. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197225. [PMID: 29775469 PMCID: PMC5959071 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Old World farming system arose in the semi-arid Mediterranean environments of southwest Asia. Pioneer farmers settling the interior of the Balkans by the early sixth millennium BC were among the first to introduce southwest Asian-style cultivation and herding into areas with increasingly continental temperate conditions. Previous research has shown that the bioarchaeological assemblages from early farming sites in southeast Europe vary in their proportions of plant and animal taxa, but the relationship between taxonomic variation and climate has remained poorly understood. To uncover associations between multiple species and environmental factors simultaneously, we explored a dataset including altitude, five bioclimatic and 30 bioarchaeological variables (plant and animal taxa) for 57 of the earliest farming sites in southeast Europe using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). An extension of correspondence analysis, CCA is widely used in applied ecology to answer similar questions of species-environment relationships, but has not been previously applied in prehistoric archaeology to explore taxonomic and climatic variables in conjunction. The analyses reveal that the changes in plant and animal exploitation which occurred with the northward dispersal of farmers, crops and livestock correlate with south-north climate gradients, and emphasize the importance of adaptations in the animal domain for the initial establishment of farming beyond the Mediterranean areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ivanova
- Institut für Ur-und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bea De Cupere
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Ethier
- Institut für Ur-und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elena Marinova
- Landesamt für Denkmalpflege am Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart, Referat 84.1/ Archäobotanik, Gaienhofen-Hemmenhofen, Germany.,Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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10
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Ethier J, Bánffy E, Vuković J, Leshtakov K, Bacvarov K, Roffet-Salque M, Evershed RP, Ivanova M. Earliest expansion of animal husbandry beyond the Mediterranean zone in the sixth millennium BC. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7146. [PMID: 28769118 PMCID: PMC5541088 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07427-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Since their domestication in the Mediterranean zone of Southwest Asia in the eighth millennium BC, sheep, goats, pigs and cattle have been remarkably successful in colonizing a broad variety of environments. The initial steps in this process can be traced back to the dispersal of farming groups into the interior of the Balkans in the early sixth millennium BC, who were the first to introduce Mediterranean livestock beyond its natural climatic range. Here, we combine analysis of biomolecular and isotopic compositions of lipids preserved in prehistoric pottery with faunal analyses of taxonomic composition from the earliest farming sites in southeast Europe to reconstruct this pivotal event in the early history of animal husbandry. We observe a marked divergence between the (sub)Mediterranean and temperate regions of Southeast Europe, and in particular a significant increase of dairying in the biochemical record coupled with a shift to cattle and wild fauna at most sites north of the Balkan mountain range. The findings strongly suggest that dairying was crucial for the expansion of the earliest farming system beyond its native bioclimatic zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Ethier
- Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, Universität Heidelberg, Marstallhof 4, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eszter Bánffy
- Römisch-Germanische Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Palmengartenstr. 10-12, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jasna Vuković
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Čika Ljubina 18-20, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Krassimir Leshtakov
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of History, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, 15 Tzar Osvoboditel Boulevard, 1504, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Krum Bacvarov
- National Institute of Archaeology and Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Saborna St., 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Mélanie Roffet-Salque
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - Richard P Evershed
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Ivanova
- Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, Universität Heidelberg, Marstallhof 4, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
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