A meal on the hoof or wealth in the kraal? Stable isotopes at Kgaswe and Taukome in eastern Botswana

Abstract

Iron Age sites associated with the Toutswe tradition in Eastern Botswana date between CE 700-1300 and share a variety of settlement patterns, economic features and material culture. The presence of domestic fauna, settlement structures and concentrations of vitrified dung provide archaeological evidence for herding economies. However, due to factors of preservation and past retrieval techniques, evidence for plant remains is still somewhat limited for the Toutswe sites in Botswana. Additionally, archaeological remains such as flora, fauna and material culture often provide only indirect evidence for their contributions to diet. This study provides new evidence for the diet of individuals from the Toutswe tradition. Given the large numbers of animal remains and residues at Toutswe sites, the expectation is that animal domesticates were also an integral part of the diet. Stable isotopic analysis of human remains indicates that even though domestic cattle and sheep occur in great abundance at Toutswe sites, their contribution to the diet may be minimal. The main source of protein for individuals at Kgaswe and Taukome comes from C4 plants such as sorghum and millet and to a lesser extent, animal products. The practice of maintaining large domestic herds for economic and social reasons rather than for primary subsistence in southern Africa today may have its roots in the Iron Age populations of the region.

Diet variability among pre‐Dogon and early Dogon populations (Mali) from stable isotopes and dental diseases

“…Concerning the protein component of the diet, the δ 15 N values are relatively low (δ 15 N mean = 8.6 ± 1.0‰, n = 175), but are comparable to those reported by Maurer et al (): 8.0 ± 0.4‰, n = 12 for Cave C and 7.7 ± 1.1‰, n = 10 for Cave H. Similar δ 15 N values have been reported for archeological populations elsewhere in sub‐Saharan Africa: 9.7 ± 0.8‰, n = 12 at Kgaswe B‐55 in Botswana (Murphy, ); and 9.0 ± 0.8‰, n = 19 at Sanga in the DRC (Dlamini, ). These sites are located in different environments with rainfall ranging from 400 to 600 mm per annum in Botswana to 1,200 mm in the DRC (Peel, Finlayson, & McMahon, ).…”

“…Comparative stable isotope data sets for bone collagen from early farmers are rare and come largely from southern Africa: mean δ 13 C = −8.9 ± 0.8‰, n = 12 from Kgaswe B‐55 in Botswana (8th–13th century AD, Murphy, ); −10.6 ± 0.9‰, n = 19 from Sanga in the Upemba Depression of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (7th–16th century AD, Dlamini, ); and −10.4 ± 1.3‰, n = 13 from Bambandanyalo in South Africa (11th–13th century AD, Lee‐Thorp, Sealy, & Morris, ). These communities also relied on millet and sorghum as staple grains, and show δ 13 C values similar to those measured in this study.…”

Ancient genomes reveal complex patterns of population movement, interaction, and replacement in sub-Saharan Africa

“…Genetic results mirror archaeological data indicating diversity in the emphasis on farming, herding, and foraging between sites and communities during the early Iron Age of Botswana (42,43). As in eastern Africa, it appears that specific trajectories of interaction and integration in particular regional and temporal settings influenced the diversity in subsistence strategies that was a hallmark of African history until recent centuries.…”

An isotopic generation: four decades of stable isotope analysis in African archaeology

“…Improved archaeological visibility and organic preservation provides greater opportunities for isotopic studies among state-level societies and the profound shifts in economy and subsistence that typically accompany the development of complex societies lend themselves to exploration with stable isotope studies of human diet, dependant on the availability of skeletal remains (Lee-Thorp et al 1993;Murphy 2011). A central focus of research programmes lies in understanding how state-level societies have managed their lands and herds, particularly in the face of the unpredictable environmental conditions that make farming so challenging across large parts of Africa (White 1993;White and Schwarcz 1994;White et al 1999;Smith et al 2007Smith et al , 2010.…”

“…In addition, Lee-Thorp et al observed differences in animal-product consumption that patterned with political stratification, with people living at larger sites consuming more animal protein than people living at smaller sites, lower down the political hierarchy. More recently, Murphy (2011) has sought to address similar questions about the relative dietary importance of crops and livestock among people living in contemporaneous sites with varying degrees of political capital in the Toutswe region of Botswana. Although limited by small sample sizes, low δ 15 N values compared to those of modern African pastoralist groups suggest that plant foods played an important role in the diets of these people.…”