High-resolution isotopic evidence of specialised cattle herding in the European Neolithic

Reconstructing stock herding strategies and land use is key to comprehending past human social organization and economy. We present laser-ablation strontium and carbon isotope data from 25 cattle (Bos taurus) to reconstruct mobility and infer herding management at the Swiss lakeside settlement of Ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	PloS one 2017-07, Vol.12 (7), p.e0180164-e0180164
Main Authors:	Gerling, Claudia, Doppler, Thomas, Heyd, Volker, Knipper, Corina, Kuhn, Thomas, Lehmann, Moritz F, Pike, Alistair W G, Schibler, Jörg
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Ablation Agricultural management Agronomy Animal Husbandry - history Animal Husbandry - methods Animals Archaeology Biogeochemistry Biology and Life Sciences Carbon isotopes Cattle Dairying - history Dairying - methods Dental Enamel - metabolism Differentiation Economics Enamel Engineering and Technology Environmental science Europe Farms Feeding Behavior Fodder Forests Geography Geology Grazing Herding Herding (Animal behavior) Herding behavior in animals High resolution History, Ancient Humans Isotopes Land use Mammals Mandible - metabolism Mass spectrometry Mass Spectrometry - methods Maxilla - metabolism Medicine and Health Sciences Mice Molar - metabolism Neolithic Physical Sciences Prehistoric era Radiometric Dating - methods Raw materials Research and Analysis Methods Scientific imaging Seasons Social organization Stone Age Strontium Strontium isotopes Strontium Isotopes - analysis Switzerland
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Summary:	Reconstructing stock herding strategies and land use is key to comprehending past human social organization and economy. We present laser-ablation strontium and carbon isotope data from 25 cattle (Bos taurus) to reconstruct mobility and infer herding management at the Swiss lakeside settlement of Arbon Bleiche 3, occupied for only 15 years (3384-3370 BC). Our results reveal three distinct isotopic patterns that likely reflect different herding strategies: 1) localized cattle herding, 2) seasonal movement, and 3) herding away from the site year-round. Different strategies of herding are not uniformly represented in various areas of the settlement, which indicates specialist modes of cattle management. The pressure on local fodder capacities and the need for alternative herding regimes must have involved diverse access to grazing resources. Consequently, the increasing importance of cattle in the local landscape was likely to have contributed to the progress of socio-economic differentiation in early agricultural societies in Europe.
ISSN:	1932-6203 1932-6203