Of cattle and feasts: multi-isotope investigation of animal husbandry and communal feasting at Neolithic Makriyalos, northern Greece

The aim of this study is to investigate livestock husbandry and its relationship to the mobilization of domestic animals for slaughter at large communal feasting events, in Late Neolithic Makriyalos, northern Greece. A multi-isotope approach is built that integrates analysis of: 1. δ13C and δ15N values of human and animal bone collagen for understanding long-term dietary behavior, 2. Incremental δ13C and δ18O values of domestic animal tooth enamel carbonate for assessing seasonal patterns in grazing habits and mobility, and 3. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of cattle tooth enamel for examining the possibility that some of the animals consumed at the site were born outside the local environment. The findings indicate that cattle had isotopically more variable diets than sheep, which may reflect grazing over a wider catchment area in the local landscape. Cattle products did not make a significant contribution to the long-term dietary protein intake of the humans, which may indicate that they were primarily consumed during episodic feasting events. There is no indication that pasturing of livestock was pre-determined by their eventual context of slaughter (i.e. large-scale feasting vs. more routine consumption events). Two nonlocal cattle identified among those deposited in a feasting context may have been brought to the site as contributions to these feasts. The evidence presented provides a more detailed insight into local land use and into the role of livestock and feasting in forging social relationships within the regional human population

The preservation and interpretation of δ34 S values in charred archaeobotanical remains

The measurement of sulphur isotope (δ34S) values in charred plant remains has the potential to inform understanding of the spatial configuration and ecology of crop production. We investigated the effects of charring, manuring, oxidation and anaerobic soil conditions on modern cereal grain/pulse seed δ34S values, and assessed the effect of chemical pre‐treatment on charred modern and archaeobotanical grain/seed δ34S values. We used these results to interpret δ34S values in archaeobotanical material from Neolithic Çatalhöyük. Our results suggest that δ34S values can be reliably preserved in charred grain/seeds but are subject to influence by anaerobic soil conditions, the effect depending on the timing of flooding in relation to S assimilation

What can crop stable isotopes ever do for us? An experimental perspective on using crop carbon stable isotope values for reconstructing water availability in semi-arid and arid environments

This study re-assesses and refines the use of crop carbon stable isotopes (Δ13C) to reconstruct past water availability. Durum wheat, six-row barley, and sorghum were experimentally grown at three crop growing stations in Jordan for up to three years under five different irrigation regimes: 0% (rainfall only), 40%, 80%, 100%, and 120% of the crops’ optimum water requirements. Results show large variation in carbon stable isotopes for crops that received similar amounts of water, either as absolute water input or as percentage of crop requirements. We conclude that C3 crop carbon stable isotope composition can therefore be best interpreted in terms of extremely high values showing an abundance of water versus low values indicating water-stress. Values in between these extremes are problematic and best interpreted in conjunction with other proxies. C4 crop isotopes were not found to be useful for the reconstruction of water availability

Further isotopic evidence for seaweed-eating sheep from Neolithic Orkney

The antiquity of the practice of grazing on and/or foddering with seaweed is of interest in terms of understanding animal management practices in northwest Europe, where provision had to be made for overwintering. Orkney holds a special place in this discussion, since the sheep of North Ronaldsay have been confined to the seashores since the early nineteenth century, and are entirely adapted to a diet consisting mainly of seaweeds. Here, we report the results of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of twenty-five faunal specimens from the Neolithic chambered tomb of Quanterness, Orkney. Three of the 12 sheep analysed show elevated δ13C values that can only be explained by the consumption of seaweed. Radiocarbon dates place two of the three animals in the Neolithic, coeval with the use of the monument for burial, while the third animal dates to the Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age. The findings are placed into the wider context of previous isotopic analyses of domestic fauna from prehistoric Orkney. A disjoint is noted between the results for bone collagen – where seaweed consumption seems to relate to the pre-natal period, since all the animals with high δ13C values are less than ca. three months of age – and previous studies using high-resolution sequential enamel measurements, which suggest a repeated pattern of winter consumption of seaweed in older animals

Best practices for selecting samples, analysing data, and publishing results in isotope archaeology

Isotopic analysis has become one of the most popular arenas of archaeological science, in part due to its versatility to uncover intriguing insights from a range of organic and inorganic archaeological materials. However, alongside an increase in popularity, the field has seen the rise of dissemination of publications that do not pass quality control, do not apply robust interpretative frameworks, or do not report data in ways that would make them amenable to critical evaluation or inclusion in large meta-analyses. This paper represents an effort to clarify some of the most pressing weaknesses and misconceptions in ‘traditional’ applications of isotopic techniques in archaeology: measurement of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope values of organic and inorganic materials (bulk bone collagen, bulk tooth dentine, seeds; bulk and incremental tooth enamel, molluscan shells), and strontium isotope ratio analysis of tooth enamel and cremated bone. The discussion centers on three key aspects of research: (1) Selecting samples, with advice on building comparative baselines (or more appropriately ‘baseintervals’) and words of caution on interpreting stable carbon isotope values measured during AMS radiocarbon dating. (2) Handling data, including tips on exploratory data analysis, graphical visualization, and statistical assessment of differences between groups; with particular reference to the Statement on p-values published by the American Statistical Association. (3) Reporting results, with advice on using correct terminology and decimal points, calculating measurement precision and accuracy, and communicating results using effective scientific language. The advice provided in this paper does not cover all aspects of project design and dissemination but will hopefully provide clarification within the above key areas and inspire further discussion of effective and impactful applications of isotopic techniques in archaeology

Locating land use at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey: the implications of 87Sr/86Sr signatures in plants and sheep tooth sequences

We evaluate local versus distant land-use models at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, central Anatolia, using strontium isotope analysis of sheep tooth enamel and charred plant remains. Interpretation of strontium in sheep tooth sequences is constrained by previous oxygen isotope work, which largely excludes summer movement to the mountains but cannot distinguish between herding on the plain and the closest upland-zone, Neogene limestone terraces. We establish a baseline contrast in modern plant strontium values between the plain and terraces and infer predominant herding on the plain from seven sheep tooth sequences. Archaeobotanical plant strontium values exclude the use of the terraces for cultivation and foraging. Relatively local crop and sheep management, plausibly intensive and integrated to some degree, given limited dry ground, appears likely on the basis of this pilot study

The Principle of Equality Among Member States of the European Union

The present chapter is aimed at reconstructing the evolution of the principle of equality among EU Member States, a principle first introduced by the Constitutional Treaty and now reaffirmed by the Treaty of Lisbon (Article 4(2) TEU). The research is divided into two parts, the first one analyzing the relation between equality and sovereignty and the second addressing the way the principle of equality among Member States relates to the principles of sincere cooperation, national identity and solidarity that, as we will see, influence the idea of equality itself. In summary, we will see whether the relations among the Member States of the European Union can be framed by the idea of equality among States as it was developed in international law or whether that idea should rather be reshaped in light of the Union’s supranational nature

The wind that shakes the barley: the role of East Asian cuisines on barley grain size

This paper investigates the eastern movements of barley grains and their morphological variations in prehistory. By combining previously published and newly collected archaeobotanical grain measurements (n = 2,176), we explore the roles of culinary traditions underlying the morphological traits observed. We find that barley diminished in size as it moved from its origin in southwestern Asia to Central and East Asia between the third millennium BC and first millennium BC. In particular, the grains in Monsoonal China became greatly reduced in comparison to other regions as the crop was incorporated into eastern small grain cuisines. The reverse pattern is observed in the high-altitude Tibetan environment, which is attributed to the practicalities of cooking under low vapour pressure conditions. These results, demonstrating that barley moved eastward but western grinding and baking traditions did not, reveal the complexity of the eastern culinary system and raise awareness of decoupling of grains and their associated cuisines.Introduction Materials and methods - Materials - Methods Results - Regional barley measurements - Elevation - Hulled and naked barley Discussion - Grain size reduction as barley heads east - Hulled, naked, two- and multiple row varieties - Tibetan boiling-steaming free zone - Towards a complex culinary system in eastern Eurasia Conclusion

The preservation and interpretation of δ34S values in charred archaeobotanical remains

The measurement of sulphur isotope (δS) values in charred plant remains has the potential to inform understanding of the spatial configuration and ecology of crop production. We investigated the effects of charring, manuring, oxidation and anaerobic soil conditions on modern cereal grain/pulse seed δS values, and assessed the effect of chemical pre-treatment on charred modern and archaeobotanical grain/seed δS values. We used these results to interpret δS values in archaeobotanical material from Neolithic Çatalhöyük. Our results suggest that δS values can be reliably preserved in charred grain/seeds but are subject to influence by anaerobic soil conditions, the effect depending on the timing of flooding in relation to S assimilation

Ethnoarchaeology as a means of improving integration: an ethnozooarchaeological study from Cyprus and Its contribution to the integration of zooarchaeology with archaeobotany and other lines of archaeological evidence

Ethnoarchaeology in Europe has been relatively neglected over the last few decades. This trend has been partly justified by the fact that modernisation in the twentieth century has swept away any remaining traditional practices, especially those pertinent to animal and plant exploitation. This reality not only renders pressing the need to record any surviving traditional practices but, even more importantly, raises the question whether the study of partly, or even significantly, altered practices is useful to archaeological method and interpretation. Through an ethnozooarchaeological study of sheep and goat husbandry in Cyprus, this study highlights the benefits of geographically relevant information and evaluates them as methodological and interpretational tools for archaeology. Ethnoarchaeological studies also have significant potential towards more efficient integration of different archaeological subdisciplines due to the fact that the various components of the agricultural systems studied are visibly interrelated and de facto integrated. The presented study focused on zooarchaeological issues, but it inevitably produced a wealth of information pertinent to plants in sheep/goat diet; seasonal patterns in the interaction between herds; cultivated, wild and fallow vegetation; overall use of the landscape; transactions between herders; and other aspects that can provide useful analogies for the interpretation of relevant archaeological data