Investigating livestock management in the early Neolithic archaeological site of Cabecicos Negros (Almería, Spain) from the organic residue analysis in pottery

Abstract

This paper seeks to reconstruct the management of food resources in the early Neolithic site of Cabecicos Negros in southeastern Spain. For this purpose, we have studied 29 potsherds from Cabecicos Negros (Andalusia, Spain). Applying the methods of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry we were able to recompose the daily use of the sherds related to the consumption and storage of food products. Among the results obtained in this work, we were able to show new evidence of the exploitation of dairy products in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as provide information on the exploitation and management of the early domestic animals herds. To improve the archaeological results obtained, isotopic results were compared with a modern reference of 53 fat samples from the adipose tissue of domestic pigs and wild boars.

Microstratigraphic, lipid biomarker and stable isotope study of a middle Palaeolithic combustion feature from Axlor, Spain

“… 13 , 55 The latter has almost identical δ 13 C than the organic matter from Level N suggesting dead-woody and charred tissues in the fine organic combustion residues; this is especially marked in Facies N2 ( Figure 9 A). On the other hand, we compare our δ 13 C values with modern almost European reference fats 52 , 53 , 56 after applying 13 CO 2 atmospheric correction, and are in agreement with fats from non-ruminant animals ( Figure 9 A). In Level N, 75% of the macrofaunal remains are from ruminants (deer, Cervus ) whereas non-ruminant remains represent <5% (Equus, and only one macrofaunal remains of wild boar).…”

“…Our results were compared with δ 13 C 16:0 and δ 13 C 18:0 from modern plants tissues (leaves and wood) charred at low combustion temperatures (<300°C) 13 , 55 and modern animal fats. 52 , 53 , 56 These modern δ 13 C values of the C 16:0 and C 18:0 fatty acids were corrected for variation in atmospheric 13 CO 2 associated with the 13 C Suess effect by 1.9‰, assuming a pre-industrial δ 13 C atm value of −6.4‰ 57 and the δ 13 C atm value at the time of sampling (−8.3‰) 58 to match archaeological δ 13 C values.…”

Pottery spilled the beans: Patterns in the processing and consumption of dietary lipids in Central Germany from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age

“…δ 13 C 18:0 : median 24.6‰, standard deviation 1.8‰. Δ 13 C: median 1.24‰, standard deviation 0.82‰) [ 68 , 70 , 71 ], while others presented more negative results (δ 13 C values lower than -27‰), which could be coherent with a wider range of species including wild (e.g. : boar, bear, badger, marmot, and hare) and domestic (e.g.…”

“…: boar, bear, badger, marmot, and hare) and domestic (e.g. : horse) animals and most plant oils or mixtures of those [ 17 , 71 , 72 , 81 , 99 – 103 ]. Although it has not been analytically possible to separate horse fats from the non-ruminant group [ 102 , 104 ], it is important to note that the high amounts of non-ruminant fats detected in vessels from the latter periods in this study would not be incompatible with the preparation of meals using this species.…”

The exploitation of mountain natural resources during the Iron Age in the Eastern Pyrenees: the case study of production unit G at Tossal de Baltarga (Bellver de Cerdanya, Lleida, Spain)

“…Finally, if fatty acids (C 16 : 0 and C 18 : 0 ) were identified, they could be analyzed by gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry, which indicated the δ-value of the carbon, allowing the origin of the fatty acids to be determined. The resulting δ 13 C 16 : 0 and δ 13 C 18 : 0 values were compared in a scatterplot with the results obtained in studies performed so far of current reference value analysis (Stacey, 2009;Debono-Spiteri et al, 2011;Tarifa-Mateo et al, 2023).…”