Introduction: Changing Paradigms in Our Understanding of the Transition to Agriculture: Human Bioarchaeology, Behaviour and Adaptaion

Persistent Controversies about the Neolithic Revolution

“…In other words, early agriculturists had to work more hours than foragers did. They were also more prone to lethal disease and malnutrition, 15 as a result of the shift towards dependence on one or a few domesticated plants, with a diet based predominantly on complex carbohydrates. Increasing sedentism and living in close proximity to domestic animals led to poor sanitation and an increase prevalence of zoonotic disease.…”

Aspects of health in prehistoric mainland Southeast Asia: Indicators of stress in response to the intensification of rice agriculture

“…This increase in population resulted in a crucial shift towards social complexity, hierarchical society, technological developments and ultimately the large global population of our species in the modern world . Researchers have found that cultural changes, accompanied by alterations in the physical environment or surroundings in which an individual or population lived and survived, impacted on health (e.g., Cohen and Armelagos, 1984b;Stock and Pinhasi, 2011).In agricultural societies dependent on maize and wheat, in the Americas and Europe respectively, it has been frequently reported that with the intensification of agriculture there was an increase in fertility and population density and a deterioration of general population health (e.g., various in Cohen and Armelagos, 1984a;Cohen and Crane-Kramer, 2007; reviewed in Larsen, 2006). The most common reason suggested for this deterioration in health is the dietary shift from a nutritionally rich and diverse hunting and gathering subsistence base, towards a nutritionally restricted diet with an increased proportion dependent on complex carbohydrates .…”

“…This increase in population resulted in a crucial shift towards social complexity, hierarchical society, technological developments and ultimately the large global population of our species in the modern world . Researchers have found that cultural changes, accompanied by alterations in the physical environment or surroundings in which an individual or population lived and survived, impacted on health (e.g., Cohen and Armelagos, 1984b;Stock and Pinhasi, 2011).…”

Traces of non-masticatory activities in the teeth of inhabitants of the Danube Gorges from 9500-5500 B.C.

“…Recently, besides radiometric dating this material, analysis of stable isotopes are carried out in purpose of determining diet (Bonsall et al 1997;Boric et al2004;Group et al 2003), strontium isotope analysis to clarify the patterns individual and group mobility (Bonsall et al 2000(Bonsall et al , 2004, ancient DNA analysis (Čuljković et al, 2008), analysis of epigenetic variations (Roksandić 2000), analysis of the skeletal remains of infants (Borić 2004 and Stefanović;Stefanović and Borić 2008) and children ( Pinhasi et al, 2011), and tooth cementum annulations analysis for reconstructing ageing models in this population (Roksandić et al, 2009Radović 2012. In addition, analysis of the dental profile of the population of Lepenski Vir culture (Grga 1996) pointed out the potential of dental material for understanding the impact of Neolithic transition on biology of this people.…”

“…Антрополошка анализа на овим скелетима обављена је 70-их година прошлог века. У новије време, на овом антрополошком материјалу поред радиометријског датовања, извршене су и анализе стабилних изотопа ради утврђивања палео-исхране (Bonsall et al 1997;Borić et al2004;Grupe et al 2003), анализе изотопа стронцијума како би се разјаснили обрасци индивидуалне и групне мобилности (Bonsall et al 2000(Bonsall et al , 2004, ДНК анализе (Čuljković et al 2008), анализе епигентетских варијација (Роксандић 2000), анализе скелетних остатака инфаната Stefanović 2004, Stefanović andBorić 2008) и деце (Pinhasi et al 2011), и анализе модела старења на основу анулације зубног цемента (Roksandić et al 2009, Радовић у припреми). Осим тога, анализа денталног профила припадника културе Лепенског вира (Грга 1996) указала је и на значајан потенцијал овог материјала за разумевање пороцеса трансформација.…”