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a b s t r a c tRecent excavation at the site of Chobareti (1615 m a.s.l., South Caucasus Mountains) reveals an important Kura-Araxes settlement and eleven burials so far, for which a first multi-proxies approach was conducted to understand both exploitation of plants and human dietary practices in this mountainous area. Thanks to the excavation of several pits, in 2011, a well-reasoned sampling for archaeobotanical analysis, including phytoliths, pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs, charcoal, seeds and other plant macroremains was undertaken. In parallel, human, animal bones and wheat seeds were recovered in order to perform stable isotope analysis (d 13 C, d 15 N). Results show the strong presence of cereals (especially naked wheat, as a hexaploid form, and emmer), highlighting the role played by cereal growing in the KuraAraxes farming activities. Plant macroremains, but also phytoliths recovered in pits, reflect processing activities on the site. While animal dung seems to have been used to enhance cereal yields, different herding practices can be suggested by d 15 N values. Whereas d 13 C values and archaeobotanical data agree for a consumption of C 3 plants, with no significant input in wheat for both animals and humans, a homogeneous mixed diet, with a great contribution of animal protein source (meat, secondary products) has been observed.

ObjectivesSubsistence strategies are of great interest for understanding how prehistoric societies adapted to their environment. This is particularly the case for the southern Caucasus where relationships have been shown with the northern Caucasus and Mesopotamia since the Neolithic and where societies are alternately described as sedentary and mobile. This article aims, for the first time, to characterize human diets and their evolution using biochemical markers, from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age (sixth‐first millenium BC), at Mentesh Tepe, a site in the middle Kura valley in Azerbaijan.Materials and MethodsThe data set belongs to 40 humans, 32 domestic and wild animals, and 42 charred seeds discovered in situ and perfectly dated. Stable isotope analyses were performed, including (a) δ13Cco and δ15N for animal and human bone collagens and for seeds, and (b) δ13Cap for human bone apatite.ResultsAlmost all the data (25/31) suggest an increased contribution of cereals, lentils, and freshwater fish during the Neolithic, whereas afterwards, until the Late Bronze Age, all individuals consumed more animal proteins from their livestock. None of the biological criteria (age at death and sex) and burial types (mass/single graves) were found to be related to a specific diet over time. Comparisons with other isotopic data from contemporary sites in Georgia argue in favor of a wide variety of dietary sources in the vicinity of the Kura valley and for highly mobile populations. Clear evidence of millet consumption has only been found for the Late Bronze Age.

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Malgré le grand nombre de fouilles menées sur des sites de la culture Kura-Araxe (3500-2400 av. J.-C.) dans le Sud Caucase depuis 1940, aucune synthèse n’a été réalisée sur les pratiques funéraires des populations. Cet article présente donc un essai de synthèse en intégrant les données des fouilles anciennes et récentes avec un nouveau regard, celui de l’archéothanatologie. Sur l’ensemble du Sud Caucase, 111 sites où la présence de sépultures est attestée ont été recensés. Les sépultures ont pu être réparties en six catégories : les cistes, les tombes construites de formes variables, les tombes en fer à cheval, les tombes en fosse sans signalement, les tombes signalées en surface par des petits amas de pierres et les kourganes. Des cartes de répartition des sites ont été établies en fonction des différents types de tombes identifiés et des modes de dépôt des défunts. Les méthodes de l’archéothanatologie ont permis de mieux appréhender les modes de dépôt et de mettre en évidence des gestes insoupçonnés.

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