The Ertebølle zooarchaeological dataset from southern Scandinavia

Interdisciplinary archaeological research in southern Scandinavia has a very long history of practice, starting in the mid-19th Century and continuing to the present. In particular, research concerning the late Mesolithic hunter-gatherer-fisher Ertebølle culture (5400-3950 cal BC) has resulted in a large zooarchaeological dataset potentially useable in large-scale comparative, or meta-analyses. In this paper, we review this dataset, and the quantity and character of the data is described. We then address particularities of the published data that may affect comparative analyses. By focusing on fragmentation and bone condition as major influencing factors on published quantitative statistics, we demonstrate that caution is warranted in comparisons between these types of data deriving from Ertebølle assemblages. Nevertheless, we focus on the dataset as a valuable resource for understanding variability in hunter-gatherer-fisher food economies and how to best mitigate potential issues in selection and use of the data in comparative studies. We do so by discussing types of comparative analyses that are most likely to provide valuable information about the human past. Lastly, we propose a series of recommendations that should inform and ensure the comparability of future Ertebølle research, and present our review as a case study in zooarchaeological meta-analyse

Flexibility and diversity in subsistence during the late Mesolithic: faunal evidence from Asnæs Havnemark

In 2007, excavations at the late Mesolithic (Ertebølle) coastal site of Asnæs Havnemark recovered a wealth of flint, bone, and ceramic artefacts. A comprehensive analysis of the faunal remains resulted in over 50,000 identified specimens. Roe deer and gadids predominate, but there are a wide variety of other species represented. Stable isotope analyses of dog bones point to the importance of marine resources. Oxygen isotope analyses of otoliths indicate that fishing was conducted in multiple seasons of the year. Comparison with other late Mesolithic sites demonstrates that while generally the same species of animals were exploited everywhere, there are major differences in the relative abundances of species. The broad subsistence base available and flexibility in how it was exploited weaken arguments for a subsistence crisis brought on by environmental stresses as the causal mechanism for the adoption of domesticated plants and animals at the onset of theNeolithic

Sex determination of human remains from peptides in tooth enamel

The assignment of biological sex to archaeological human skeletons is a fundamental requirement for the reconstruction of the human past. It is conventionally and routinely performed on adults using metric analysis and morphological traits arising from postpubertal sexual dimorphism. A maximum accuracy of ∼95% is possible if both the cranium and os coxae are present and intact, but this is seldom achievable for all skeletons. Furthermore, for infants and juveniles, there are no reliable morphological methods for sex determination without resorting to DNA analysis, which requires good DNA survival and is time-consuming. Consequently, sex determination of juvenile remains is rarely undertaken, and a dependable and expedient method that can correctly assign biological sex to human remains of any age is highly desirable. Here we present a method for sex determination of human remains by means of a minimally destructive surface acid etching of tooth enamel and subsequent identification of sex chromosome-linked isoforms of amelogenin, an enamel-forming protein, by nanoflow liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body and survives burial exceptionally well, even when the rest of the skeleton or DNA in the organic fraction has decayed. Our method can reliably determine the biological sex of humans of any age using a body tissue that is difficult to cross-contaminate and is most likely to survive. The application of this method will make sex determination of adults and, for the first time, juveniles a reliable and routine activity in future bioarcheological and medico-legal science contexts

Sex estimation of teeth at different developmental stages using dimorphic enamel peptide analysis

Objectives This study tests, for the first time, the applicability of a new method of sex estimation utilizing enamel peptides on a sample of deciduous and permanent teeth at different stages of mineralization, from nonadults of unknown sex, including perinates. Materials and methods A total of 43 teeth from 29 nonadult individuals aged from 40 gestational weeks to 19 years old were analyzed. The sample included pairs of fully mineralized and just developing teeth from the same individual. The individuals were from four archaeological sites in England: Piddington (1st–2nd centuries AD), Coach Lane, Victoria Gate, and Fewston (all 18th–19th centuries). A method that identifies sex chromosome‐linked isoforms of the peptide amelogenin from human tooth enamel was applied. The method utilizes a minimally destructive acid etching procedure and subsequent nano liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results It was possible to determine the sex of 28 of the nonadult individuals sampled (males = 20, females = 8, undetermined = 1). Only one sample failed (CL9), due to insufficient mineralization of the sampled tooth enamel. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD021683. Discussion Sufficient peptide material to determine sex can be recovered even from the crowns of developing perinatal teeth that are not fully mineralized. The minimally destructive and inexpensive (compared to ancient DNA) nature of this procedure has significant implications for bioarchaeological studies of infancy and childhood

A Meeting In The Forest: Hunters And Farmers At The Coneybury ‘Anomaly’, Wiltshire

The Coneybury ‘Anomaly’ is an Early Neolithic pit located just south-east of Stonehenge, Wiltshire. Excavations recovered a faunal assemblage unique in its composition, consisting of both wild and domestic species, as well as large quantities of ceramics and stone tools, including a substantial proportion of blades/bladelets. We present a suite of new isotope analyses of the faunal material, together with ancient DNA sex determination, and reconsider the published faunal data to ask: What took place at Coneybury, and who was involved? We argue on the basis of multiple lines of evidence that Coneybury represents the material remains of a gathering organised by a regional community, with participants coming from different areas. One group of attendees provided deer instead of, or in addition to, cattle. We conclude that the most likely scenario is that this group comprised local hunter-gatherers who survived alongside local farmers

Carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope data of archaeological fish and mammal bone collagen from Lithuania

Until relatively recently, stable sulphur isotope analysis of bone collagen was seldom undertaken in bioarchaeological research. With increasing frequency, its application has proven useful in reconstructing palaeodiets and palaeoecologies, as well as identifying potential migration and mobility patterns. Here, sulphur (δ34S) isotope analysis, together with carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N), was performed on six fish and 34 mammal bone collagen samples from 14 prehistoric sites in Lithuania dating from the Late Mesolithic (ca. 7000–5000 cal BC) to the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1100–500 cal BC). We present the first δ34S data from Lithuania, including coupled δ13C and δ15N data, offering a crucial dataset for future research to explore spatial and temporal variability in the region and beyond

Neolithisation through bone : Stable isotope analysis of human and faunal remains from Syltholm II, Lolland, Denmark

Despite an increasing number of studies, the application of stable sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis to prehistoric bone collagen remains in its infancy. Conventionally, stable sulfur isotope compositions reflect coastal proximity and the interaction between humans and animals. Here, we undertook stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis of human and faunal bone collagen. To understand the local environmental conditions as well as the husbandry regime employed by the first farmers, and investigate where the animals were raised or hunted in non-specific terms, we sampled 50 faunal, including wild and domestic taxa, and human remains from the Late Mesolithic to Early-Middle Neolithic (c. 4860–2310 cal BC) site of Syltholm II on the island of Lolland, Denmark. We show that the wild animals were obtained from multiple locations surrounding the prehistoric Syltholm Fjord, including forested and open landscapes, areas impacted by sea spray and saltmarshes. In contrast, the domestic taxa, especially cattle, were tightly managed for the majority of their lives based on their δ13C and δ15N isotope compositions, though were likely raised in multiple locations, including sea spray-affected areas, saltmarshes and wetlands, based on their δ34S values. The domestic dogs had a broad range of δ13C, δ15N and δ34S values, reflecting the consumption of varying degrees of marine foodstuffs, including animals that were sulfide-derived. Overall, our results contribute to a growing body of evidence for possible cultural and animal husbandry duality during the earliest Neolithic in southern Scandinavia

Sex Determination and Isotopic Analysis of the Nivåfjord Mesolithic Burials, Zealand, Denmark

Since 1992 the prehistoric Nivåfjord in northeast Zealand, Denmark, has yielded an appreciable number of inhumation burials and cremations dating to the Mesolithic, especially the sites of Nivå 10 and Nivågård. Unfortunately, the micro-region is characterised by poor organic preservation, restricting the successful application of biomolecular techniques to human remains, including large-scale radiocarbon dating programmes as well as both stable isotope and ancient DNA analyses. Here, we apply an alternative technique, an acid etch peptide-based method, to determine the sex of eight individuals from Nivå 10 as well as the Nivågård child. Moreover, we revisit the utility of stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis of human tissues to reconstruct the life histories and diets of 10 individuals from Nivå 10 as well as the Nivågård child. To contextualise further, we sampled 14 Capreolus capreolus and three Sus scrofa from the Nivågård site for stable isotope analysis. We demonstrate that sex can successfully be determined from contexts susceptible to poor organic preservation, and show that the Nivågård child spent a proportion of its life outside a sea spray-influenced environment, and consumed significant quantities of marine protein as demonstrated by its δ13C and δ34S values

An integrated analysis of Maglemose bone points reframes the Early Mesolithic of Southern Scandinavia

The extensive peat bogs of Southern Scandinavia have yielded rich Mesolithic archaeological assemblages, with one of the most iconic artefacts being the bone point. Although great in number they remain understudied. Here we present a combined investigation of the typology, protein-based species composition, and absolute chronology of Maglemosian bone points. The majority of the bone points are made from cervids and bovines. However, changes both in species composition and barb morphology can be directly linked to a paucity of finds lasting nearly 600 years in Southern Scandinavia around 10,300 cal BP. We hypothesize that this hiatus was climate-driven and forced hunter-gatherers to abandon the lakes. Furthermore, the marked change in bone points coincides with a change in lithic technology. We, therefore, propose that the Maglemose culture in Southern Scandinavia is fundamentally divided into an Early Complex and a Late Complex