Seasonal calving in European Prehistoric cattle and its impacts on milk availability and cheese-making:impacts on milk availability and cheese-making

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.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Archaeozoology of the Neolithic of Bohemia

An archaeozoological analysis of the assemblages of animal bones and teeth of Neolithic (Linear and Stroked Pottery cultures; approx. 5500-4200 BC)settlements in Bohemia, provide new elements on the way of life of early farmers. By means of study of animal bones and teeth we can specify the role of domestic and hunting animals in the Neolithic economy, define the herd management strategies for main domestic animals and focus on the environmental reconstruction and investigation of births distribution of domestic animals (for exemple of cattle in the case of this study) through the analysis of the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of fossil tooth enamel bioapatite. To achieve these objectives, we can use, except standard archaeozoological methods and stable isotope analysis, more specific procedures, e.g. determination of damaged bones of animals using the ELISA test

Integration of Linearbandkeramik cattle husbandry in the forested landscape of the mid-Holocene climate optimum: Seasonal-scale investigations in Bohemia

International audienceDomestic animals and plants were introduced to Europe from the Near East and subsequently spread acrossEurope, entailing adaptations to different environments with consequences for the biology of organisms, agropastoraltechnical systems and socio-economic organisation. Agriculture was introduced to Central Europe byLinearbandkeramik (LBK) societies between 5600 and 4900 cal. BC, in predominantly forested environments.LBK farming systems involved intensive permanent field cultivation in natural openings. Milking was practicedas evidenced from cattle mortality profiles and lipid residues in ceramics. Questions arise as to what extent LBKcattle husbandry relied on woodland, and as to whether the seasonal scarcity of fodder conditioned cattle reproductioncycles, with consequences on milk availability. Results from the δ13C and δ18O analysis of cattle toothenamel at Chotěbudice and Černý Vůl (Bohemia, Czech Republic) suggest a limited use of dense forest for cattleherding, even on a seasonal scale: cattle were kept in the open component of the forest/steppe mosaic landscape.Winter forest browsing/provision of leafy fodder was evidenced in one specimen. At Chotěbudice, cattle birthsmainly occurred over a two to three-month period, suggesting environmental constraints on cattle fertility cycles,and possibly seasonal fodder scarcity. A direct consequence of this would be a shorter period of milkavailability throughout the year

The new insights into the subsistence and early farming from neolithic settlements in Central Europe: the archaeozoological evidence from the Czech Republic

International audienceThe archaeozoological evidence from two Neolithic settlements occupied in the periods of the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) and the Stroke Pottery Culture (SBK) has provided new insights into the way of life of early farmers in the Czech Republic. Though LBK and SBK sites are abundant, only isolated studies allow one to reconstruct stockbreeding practices on the basis of archaeozoological and isotopic data. Our results confirm that livestock provided most of the animal products consumed and that hunting was a marginal activity. Though cattle were the dominant stock, with small stock and swine playing a secondary role in the animal economy, our results reveal variability at a regional scale. The management of cattle and small stock at Chotěbudice and Černý Vůl changed according to the time period and the so-called secondary products (milk, maybe hair) were exploited since the LBK. Mortality profiles of swine evidenced a peak between 6 and 24 months with few individuals surviving to adulthood. The δ13C and δ18O analyses of cattle tooth enamel yielded values suggesting pasture in open areas and grouped births. The combination of data from stable isotope analysis and kill-off patterns suggests that calving took place during the spring

The new insights into the subsistence and early farming from neolithic settlements in Central Europe: the archaeozoological evidence from the Czech Republic

International audienceThe archaeozoological evidence from two Neolithic settlements occupied in the periods of the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) and the Stroke Pottery Culture (SBK) has provided new insights into the way of life of early farmers in the Czech Republic. Though LBK and SBK sites are abundant, only isolated studies allow one to reconstruct stockbreeding practices on the basis of archaeozoological and isotopic data. Our results confirm that livestock provided most of the animal products consumed and that hunting was a marginal activity. Though cattle were the dominant stock, with small stock and swine playing a secondary role in the animal economy, our results reveal variability at a regional scale. The management of cattle and small stock at Chotěbudice and Černý Vůl changed according to the time period and the so-called secondary products (milk, maybe hair) were exploited since the LBK. Mortality profiles of swine evidenced a peak between 6 and 24 months with few individuals surviving to adulthood. The δ13C and δ18O analyses of cattle tooth enamel yielded values suggesting pasture in open areas and grouped births. The combination of data from stable isotope analysis and kill-off patterns suggests that calving took place during the spring

From LBK to SBK: Pottery, Bones, Lithics and Houses at the Neolithic site of Hrdlovka, Czech Republic

The paper is focused on the period of cultural change at the turn of 6th and 5th millennia BC, when the uniform Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) occupying an extensive area disintegrated in several local groups or cultures, including the Stroked Pottery Culture (SBK) emerging in the regions of Bohemia and Saxony. The data comprising pottery, animal bones, lithics, as well as architectural attributes from Hrdlovka site, situated in northwest Bohemia, are presented. In accordance with the sites of Hrbovice-Chabařovice and Dresden- Prohlis a rather uninterrupted LBK/SBK transition has been observed, which contrasts with the image of “LBK crisis” observed in other regions. Lithics production and distribution networks of raw material seem to be stable. The change in stockkeeping strategies correlating with the transitional period are considered rather as modification of local environmental conditions. On the level of households, a similar architectural development has been documented at the Hrdlovka and Dresden-Prohlis sites. The processes of LBK/SBK transition in terms of cultural change are also discussed

Raně středověký areál v Roztokách z pohledu ekofaktů

The Early Medieval settlement at Roztoky (Prague-west district, Central Bohemia) represents an extraordinary case and, at the same time, a difficult challenge in terms of interpretation among sites of the Prague-type Culture (6th–7th century AD). Primarily, the high overall number of settlement features of the given culture is what makes this site unique and puzzling. To date, more than 300 sunken houses of this culture have been captured at the site (with an area size of min. 22 ha) and their overall number can be estimated as being at least double this amount. On the one hand, the site is specific also by its landscape setting (at the base of a canyon-like valley) and by its discontinuity in relation to the preceding and the following periods. On the other hand, the site lacks finds that would allow for a clear interpretation in terms of its function (e.g. production features, tools or waste materials, luxury goods, etc.). Finds of the Prague-type Culture were first discovered at Roztoky in the 1980s (Kuna — Profantová a kol. 2005). A further extensive excavation took place at the site in 2006–2010 due to road relocation. An integral part of the new excavation was the systematic collection of ecofacts, conducted with the aim of gaining as much information as possible on the nature environment and the basic economic character of the Early Medieval settlement agglomeration. This led to the obtaining and processing of an extensive assemblage of, for example, charcoal fragments, plant macroremains, animal and fish bones, and malacofauna; also conducted was a phosphate analysis of the house floors, a micromorphological analysis of their fill strata and the radiocarbon dating of a series of samples. The results of this work are presented in this article. Interesting findings concern, for example, the relatively minor impact of the Early Medieval settlement on the environment (in contrast to the large amount of settlement features), the focus on pig husbandry (most probably linked to a high population in the community), the growing of millet (the most significant cultural plant in terms of find numbers, but apparently not primary in economic terms), and the minor use for fishing. A range of indicators confirms that the site was settled by a large community of people. At the end of this paper, the hypothesis is presented that the site was originally divided into two parts, one of which (the southern, with the largest concentration of Early Medieval houses), must have been a specialized settlement (activity) area that was mostly used for non-agrarian activities. On the basis of the current results it is impossible to identify the type of activities more precisely, mostly because they must have belonged to activities leaving no clear archaeological traces. Nonetheless, the results of this paper offer a new starting point and a reliable ecological and economic framework to be integrated into further research.Raně středověké sídliště v Roztokách (okr. Praha-západ, střední Čechy) představuje výjimečnou lokalitu a zároveň obtížný interpretační problém. Mimořádný a záhadný je zde především počet sídlištních objektů kultury pražského typu (6.–7. století n. l.). Celkem bylo na lokalitě (s plochou min. 22 ha) zatím zachyceno přes 300 zahloubených domů této kultury a jejich celkový počet lze odhadnout na nejméně dvojnásobek. Sídliště charakterizuje řada nezvyklých rysů, např. umístění na dně kaňonovitého údolí a sídelní diskontinuita, na druhé straně ale také absence dalších, funkčně lépe interpretovatelných nálezů (výrobních zařízení, luxusních výrobků apod.). Nálezy daného období byly v Roztokách poprvé zkoumány v 80. letech minulého století (Kuna — Profantová a kol. 2005); v letech 2006–2010 zde v souvislosti s přeložkou silnice proběhl další rozsáhlý odkryv. Jeho součástí byl i systematický sběr ekofaktů, prováděný s cílem lépe poznat původní přírodní prostředí a základní rysy ekonomiky sídelní aglomerace. Získán a zpracován byl např.rozsáhlý soubor uhlíků, rostlinných makrozbytků, zvířecích kosti, rybích kostí a malakofauny; provedena byla též fosfátová analýza podlah domů, mikromorfologický rozbor vrstev výplní a radiouhlíkové datování série vzorků. Výsledky těchto postupů jsou přehlednou formou představeny v této práci. K zajímavým zjištěním patří např. poměrně malý vliv osídlení na přírodní prostředí (v kontrastu s množstvím sídlištních pozůstatků), důraz na chov prasat (nejspíše související s větším počtem lidí v komunitě), pěstování prosa (početně nejvýznamnější kulturní plodina, byť ekonomicky zřejmě nikoliv hlavní) a malé uplatnění rybolovu. V závěru práce je formulována hypotéza, že lokalita byla původně členěna do dvou částí, z nichž jedna (jižní, s největší koncentrací raně středověkých domů) byla specializovaným areálem, jehož obyvatelé se do značné míry věnovali nezemědělským činnostem

Data from: The evolution of dual meat and milk cattle husbandry in Linearbandkeramik societies

Cattle dominate archaeozoological assemblages from the north-central Europe between the sixth and fifth millennium BC and are frequently considered as exclusively used for their meat. Dairy products may have played a greater role than previously believed. Selective pressure on the lactase persistence mutation has been modelled to have begun between 6000 and 4000 years ago in central Europe. The discovery of milk lipids in late sixth millennium ceramic sieves in Poland may reflect an isolated regional peculiarity for cheese making or may signify more generalized milk exploitation in north-central Europe during the Early Neolithic. To investigate these issues, we analysed the mortality profiles based on age-at-death analysis of cattle tooth eruption, wear and replacement from 19 archaeological sites of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) culture (sixth to fifth millennium BC). The results indicate that cattle husbandry was similar across time and space in the LBK culture with a degree of specialization for meat exploitation in some areas. Statistical comparison with reference age-at-death profiles indicate that mixed husbandry (milk and meat) was practised, with mature animals being kept. The analysis provides a unique insight into LBK cattle husbandry and how it evolved in later cultures in central and western Europe. It also opens a new perspective on how and why the Neolithic way of life developed through continental Europe and how dairy products became a part of the human diet

ESM2

R_code for generation of the mortality profiles and Dirichlet simulations for correspondence analysis