Shepherds, cowherds and site function on middle Neolithic sites of the Rhône valley: An archaeozoological approach to the organization of territories and societies

Bréhard, Stéphanie; Beeching, Alain; Vigne, Jean‐Denis

doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2010.02.001

Cited by 38 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Borduş ani-Popin a, Hârş ova tell, Luncavit¸a and M ariut¸a are characterized by mixed kill-off patterns and the youngest calves (first age class, 0e6 months) are present (from 3% to 7% of the dead animals). No obvious truncated profile or specialized pattern (as existed in Western Europe at the beginning of the fourth millennium BC; Bréhard et al, 2010) is observed for the four Gumelnit¸a settlements studied.…”

Section: Cattlementioning

confidence: 75%

“…It implies that the first stages of sheep/goat husbandry (in particular lambing) took place mainly elsewhere and that sheep/goats were brought to these tell sites for the most part when they had reached their optimum weight (age class C) to be eaten. The available kill-off patterns would then reflect only a portion of the dead animals (truncated patterns; Bréhard et al, 2010;Halstead, 1996;Helmer et al, 2005;Stein, 1987).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A way of examining the pastoral practices is the establishment of reliable kill-off patterns, constructed from the estimates of age at death of the animals (Arnold and Greenfield, 2006;Bréhard et al, 2010;Helmer et al, 2005;Rowley-Conwy, 1991;Stein, 1987). The kill-off patterns should be organized using relatively narrow age classes with a correspondence in absolute age to permit interpretations in terms of practices.…”

Section: Kill-off Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The archaeozoological approach can be an effective tool for dealing with these questions. Much work has shown that the analysis of pastoral practices, for example, is an excellent way to reveal possible cases of specialization and thus to reveal the existence of exchanges between the sites of a given geographical zone (Arnold and Greenfield, 2006;Bréhard et al, 2010;Halstead, 1996;Helmer et al, 2005;RowleyConwy, 1991;Stein, 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What's behind the tell phenomenon? An archaeozoological approach of Eneolithic sites in Romania

Bréhard

Bălășescu²

2012

Journal of Archaeological Science

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a b s t r a c tThis article is concerned with the Eneolithic period in southeastern Europe, which corresponds to a phase of increasing social complexity. We demonstrate that the development of a new type of settlement, the tell site, which in southeastern Romania fully began with the Gumelnit¸a culture, was accompanied by changes in the meat component of the diet. The 39 available faunal spectra are processed by correspondence analyses; this shows that the homogeneity that characterized the previous cultures (Hamangia and Boian) was followed by a greater diversity in animal exploitation systems in the Gumelnit¸a culture. The main change is the important role that large game played for some Gumelnit¸a communities (the favored species varied). However, variability existed within the domestic species as well. This may result from the interaction between several possible factors (e.g. new husbandry techniques, complex socio-economic relations between the sites, a great social value given to wild mammals). This diversity contrasts with the homogeneity of the pastoral practices developed for sheep (and, to a lesser extent, for cattle) at the Gumelnit¸a tell sites (reliable kill-off patterns were established for five sites). We also show that sheep exploitation was specialized. Given that this kind of specialized exploitation became the norm from the Gumelnit¸a period, we propose that the appearance of homogeneous and specialized practices for sheep is linked to the development of tell sites. More generally, certain standardization in pastoral practices during the Gumelnit¸a period is possible. For three tell sites, it is likely that the youngest sheep and goats died mainly elsewhere; we suggest that these settlements were parts of larger pastoral systems, on a local or regional scale, and that places or sites with complementary functions existed.

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Section: Cattlementioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Kill-off Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What's behind the tell phenomenon? An archaeozoological approach of Eneolithic sites in Romania

Bréhard

Bălășescu²

2012

Journal of Archaeological Science

Self Cite

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“…91 See e.g. Chaffenet/Cordier (1999) as well as the discussion in Bréhard et al (2010) Possibly the phenomenon of the "Chamblandes", as well as the "fire place-sites" mentioned above, represent a transitional phase of a local (Late-Mesolithic?) population, influenced by the north and the south-west.…”

Section: Origin Of the Tetraploid Naked Wheat?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Late Neolithic Michelsberg culture – just ramparts and ditches? A supraregional comparison of agricultural and environmental data

Kreuz

Märkle

Marinova

et al. 2014

Praehistorische Zeitschrift

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Farming with Animals: Domesticated Animals and Taxonomic Diversity in the Cardial Neolithic of the Western Mediterranean

McClure

Welker

2017

Times of Neolithic Transition Along the Western Mediterranean

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Shepherds, cowherds and site function on middle Neolithic sites of the Rhône valley: An archaeozoological approach to the organization of territories and societies

Cited by 38 publications

References 21 publications

What's behind the tell phenomenon? An archaeozoological approach of Eneolithic sites in Romania

What's behind the tell phenomenon? An archaeozoological approach of Eneolithic sites in Romania

The Late Neolithic Michelsberg culture – just ramparts and ditches? A supraregional comparison of agricultural and environmental data

Farming with Animals: Domesticated Animals and Taxonomic Diversity in the Cardial Neolithic of the Western Mediterranean

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