Last hunters-first farmers: new insight into subsistence strategies in the Central Balkans through multi-isotopic analysis
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2019
Authors
Jovanović, Jelena
de Becdelievre, Camille
Stefanović, Sofija

Živaljević, Ivana

Dimitrijević, Vesna

Goude, Gwenaelle
Article (Published version)

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This paper presents new results of stable isotope analysis made on human and animal bones from Mesolithic-Neolithic sites (9500-5200calBC) in the Central Balkans. It reconstructs dietary practices in the Mesolithic and documents the development of new subsistence strategies and regional differences during the process of Neolithisation. We achieved these insights into dietary changes by analysing bone collagen C-13 (n=75), N-15 (n=75) and S-34 (n=96) and comparing stable isotope data of Mesolithic-Neolithic communities from the Danube Gorges with the data of the first farmers who lived outside of the Gorges in the Central Balkans. The Bayesian model was employed to evaluate the relative importance of different animal proteins in human diet. Results bring a new overview and highlight important chronological and regional differences. They suggest that Late Mesolithic humans included more anadromous and potamodromous fish in their diet, which is consistent with archaeozoological evidence. ...On the other hand, differing from archaeozoological data, the model also points to a greater reliance on terrestrial carnivores (dogs) in the Late Mesolithic diet, a pattern that can be also explained by other dietary and environmental factors. In the Transitional and Neolithic period in the Gorges, some individuals have consumed fewer aquatic resources and favoured more terrestrial products. However, one site in the Gorges represents an exceptionAjmana, where we have the earliest farmers in this region since their subsistence economy was mainly oriented toward terrestrial products. Furthermore, results shows that Neolithic individuals inhumated at sites outside of the Danube Gorges in the Balkans had dietary patterns that vary in both terrestrial and freshwater resources, indicating that early farming communities had a diversified diet linked to a local natural environment. Comparative data finally indicates regional differentiations associated with locally available resources but also related to the traditions of prehistoric communities and to specific economic innovations.
Keywords:
Stable isotope analyses / Mesolithic-Neolithic transition / Diet / Central BalkansSource:
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2019, 11, 7, 3279-3298Publisher:
- Springer Heidelberg, Heidelberg
Funding / projects:
- Bridging the European and Anatolian Neolithic: Demography, Migration, and Lifestyle at the Advent of Civilization (EU-289966)
- Births, mothers and babies: prehistoric fertility in the Balkans between 10000-5000 BC (EU-640557)
- Bioarchaeology of Ancient Europe: People, Animals and Plants in the Prehistory of Serbia (RS-47001)
DOI: 10.1007/s12520-018-0744-1
ISSN: 1866-9557
WoS: 000471598800012
Scopus: 2-s2.0-85067383574
Institution/Community
Arheologija / ArchaeologyTY - JOUR AU - Jovanović, Jelena AU - de Becdelievre, Camille AU - Stefanović, Sofija AU - Živaljević, Ivana AU - Dimitrijević, Vesna AU - Goude, Gwenaelle PY - 2019 UR - http://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2959 AB - This paper presents new results of stable isotope analysis made on human and animal bones from Mesolithic-Neolithic sites (9500-5200calBC) in the Central Balkans. It reconstructs dietary practices in the Mesolithic and documents the development of new subsistence strategies and regional differences during the process of Neolithisation. We achieved these insights into dietary changes by analysing bone collagen C-13 (n=75), N-15 (n=75) and S-34 (n=96) and comparing stable isotope data of Mesolithic-Neolithic communities from the Danube Gorges with the data of the first farmers who lived outside of the Gorges in the Central Balkans. The Bayesian model was employed to evaluate the relative importance of different animal proteins in human diet. Results bring a new overview and highlight important chronological and regional differences. They suggest that Late Mesolithic humans included more anadromous and potamodromous fish in their diet, which is consistent with archaeozoological evidence. On the other hand, differing from archaeozoological data, the model also points to a greater reliance on terrestrial carnivores (dogs) in the Late Mesolithic diet, a pattern that can be also explained by other dietary and environmental factors. In the Transitional and Neolithic period in the Gorges, some individuals have consumed fewer aquatic resources and favoured more terrestrial products. However, one site in the Gorges represents an exceptionAjmana, where we have the earliest farmers in this region since their subsistence economy was mainly oriented toward terrestrial products. Furthermore, results shows that Neolithic individuals inhumated at sites outside of the Danube Gorges in the Balkans had dietary patterns that vary in both terrestrial and freshwater resources, indicating that early farming communities had a diversified diet linked to a local natural environment. Comparative data finally indicates regional differentiations associated with locally available resources but also related to the traditions of prehistoric communities and to specific economic innovations. PB - Springer Heidelberg, Heidelberg T2 - Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences T1 - Last hunters-first farmers: new insight into subsistence strategies in the Central Balkans through multi-isotopic analysis EP - 3298 IS - 7 SP - 3279 VL - 11 DO - 10.1007/s12520-018-0744-1 ER -
@article{ author = "Jovanović, Jelena and de Becdelievre, Camille and Stefanović, Sofija and Živaljević, Ivana and Dimitrijević, Vesna and Goude, Gwenaelle", year = "2019", abstract = "This paper presents new results of stable isotope analysis made on human and animal bones from Mesolithic-Neolithic sites (9500-5200calBC) in the Central Balkans. It reconstructs dietary practices in the Mesolithic and documents the development of new subsistence strategies and regional differences during the process of Neolithisation. We achieved these insights into dietary changes by analysing bone collagen C-13 (n=75), N-15 (n=75) and S-34 (n=96) and comparing stable isotope data of Mesolithic-Neolithic communities from the Danube Gorges with the data of the first farmers who lived outside of the Gorges in the Central Balkans. The Bayesian model was employed to evaluate the relative importance of different animal proteins in human diet. Results bring a new overview and highlight important chronological and regional differences. They suggest that Late Mesolithic humans included more anadromous and potamodromous fish in their diet, which is consistent with archaeozoological evidence. On the other hand, differing from archaeozoological data, the model also points to a greater reliance on terrestrial carnivores (dogs) in the Late Mesolithic diet, a pattern that can be also explained by other dietary and environmental factors. In the Transitional and Neolithic period in the Gorges, some individuals have consumed fewer aquatic resources and favoured more terrestrial products. However, one site in the Gorges represents an exceptionAjmana, where we have the earliest farmers in this region since their subsistence economy was mainly oriented toward terrestrial products. Furthermore, results shows that Neolithic individuals inhumated at sites outside of the Danube Gorges in the Balkans had dietary patterns that vary in both terrestrial and freshwater resources, indicating that early farming communities had a diversified diet linked to a local natural environment. Comparative data finally indicates regional differentiations associated with locally available resources but also related to the traditions of prehistoric communities and to specific economic innovations.", publisher = "Springer Heidelberg, Heidelberg", journal = "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences", title = "Last hunters-first farmers: new insight into subsistence strategies in the Central Balkans through multi-isotopic analysis", pages = "3298-3279", number = "7", volume = "11", doi = "10.1007/s12520-018-0744-1" }
Jovanović, J., de Becdelievre, C., Stefanović, S., Živaljević, I., Dimitrijević, V.,& Goude, G.. (2019). Last hunters-first farmers: new insight into subsistence strategies in the Central Balkans through multi-isotopic analysis. in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Springer Heidelberg, Heidelberg., 11(7), 3279-3298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0744-1
Jovanović J, de Becdelievre C, Stefanović S, Živaljević I, Dimitrijević V, Goude G. Last hunters-first farmers: new insight into subsistence strategies in the Central Balkans through multi-isotopic analysis. in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. 2019;11(7):3279-3298. doi:10.1007/s12520-018-0744-1 .
Jovanović, Jelena, de Becdelievre, Camille, Stefanović, Sofija, Živaljević, Ivana, Dimitrijević, Vesna, Goude, Gwenaelle, "Last hunters-first farmers: new insight into subsistence strategies in the Central Balkans through multi-isotopic analysis" in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 11, no. 7 (2019):3279-3298, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0744-1 . .