The Seasonal Mobility Model for Prehistoric Herders in the South-western Cape of South Africa Assessed by Isotopic Analysis of Sheep Tooth Enamel

Balasse, Marie; Ambrose, Stanley H.; Smith, Andrew B.; Price, T. Douglas

doi:10.1006/jasc.2001.0787

Cited by 360 publications

(266 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Consistently, intra-tooth d 18 O variations of the same order of amplitude (2-5%) have also been observed in the carbonate fractions of prehistoric bovid tooth enamel from a Mediterranean climate region in South Africa. 10 The horse from G. di Pozzo, however, shows relatively small within-tooth d 18 Op variations but, in this case, we take into account that the Fucino basin during the Upper Palaeolithic was hosting a shallow lake that could have been accessed by the animals roaming the area, thus explaining, as for the animals at Settecannelle, the lower than expected seasonal variation.…”

Section: Oxygen Isotope Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Sequential intra-tooth measurements of 18 O/ 16 O and 13 C/ 12 C along the direction of growth are useful to assess the compositional variations of these parameters along a tooth mineralisation trajectory, as they reflect seasonal environmental variations during this period. [10][11][12][13] Mobility (or residence) patterns can be reflected in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr from tooth enamel, since Sr deposited in the skeletal tissues from food and drink links the animal to the geographical region from which it sourced its food and drink. 11 The ability to detect movement across a landscape, or landscapes, requires that the underlying geologies across which the animal traverses have differing 87 Sr/ 86 Sr compositions.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…[10][11][12][13][14][15] On this basis, we performed a detailed isotopic investigation on animal dental remains of ungulates from four archaeological sites in central Italy.…”

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Faunal migration in late‐glacial central Italy: implications for human resource exploitation

Pellegrini

Donahue

Chenery³

et al. 2008

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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The hunter-gatherer transhumance model presents foragers as specialised hunters of migratory ungulates, which moved seasonally between coastal lowlands and interior uplands. We studied six animal teeth of horse (Equus hydruntinus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) from four different archaeological sites: the Grotta di Vado all'Arancio, Grotta di Settecannelle, Grotta Polesini and Grotta di Pozzo, in central Italy to test whether the migratory patterns and seasonal variations recorded in their teeth were consistent with expectations of the transhumance model for this region during the late Upper Palaeolithic. Sequential sub-samples of enamel were analysed from each tooth for oxygen, carbon and strontium isotope ratios to reconstruct mobility and yearly seasonal variations. The results show little evidence that these animals were moving over different geological terrains throughout the year, although small variations in Sr isotope ratios and concentrations were detected that corresponded to probable seasonal variations as shown by variability in oxygen isotope sequences. The results do, however, demonstrate that Cervus elaphus and Equus hydruntinus had different ranging behaviours, with the former moving over wider areas than the latter. This methodology produces results appropriate to assess animal migratory behaviour and, in turn, to test the consistency of proposed models of hunter-gatherer subsistence and mobility strategies. Copyright # 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Eurasian hunter-gatherer populations experienced rapid and extreme environmental changes from the Last Glacial Maximum to the early Holocene (ca. 18 000 to 8000 BP). e.g. 1,2 During this period profound socio-economic changes and technological developments took place that culminated with the transition to agriculture. Various models have been applied to explore the relationship between the environment and hunter-gatherer behaviour during the late-glacial in Mediterranean Europe. The hunter-gatherer transhumance model, a variation of the seasonal mobility model originally developed by Higgs, 3,4 presents foragers as specialised hunters of migratory ungulates that moved seasonally between coastal lowlands and interior uplands. In Italy, Barker hypothesised that hunter-gatherers of the late Pleistocene followed seasonally migratory herd species including Cervus elaphus and Equus hydruntinus between the Apennine uplands and the coastal plains. 5,6 These two locations offer seasonally distinct opportunities for grazing species: in winter the mountains are inhospitable and cold while the coastal plains remain grass-covered. In summer, instead, the lowlands are dry with little vegetation and the mountains remain vegetated. These distinctions would have been intensified in the late Pleistocene, and Barker argued that the seasonal climatic variations of this Mediterranean landscape would have suited wild species of grazing herbivores that could migrate between these two regions. 6 Although the hunter-gatherer transhumance model is attractive for various reasons...

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Section: Oxygen Isotope Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

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confidence: 99%

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Faunal migration in late‐glacial central Italy: implications for human resource exploitation

Pellegrini

Donahue

Chenery³

et al. 2008

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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“…Powdered enamel samples were drilled using a diamond-tipped drill piece, and were collected from the maximum available height of the molar plate being sampled, to average the longest period of time possible (Hoppe, 2004;Hoppe and Koch, 2006). Samples were sieved using a 90μm mesh to remove stray dirt and enamel splinters that fell into the sample during the drilling process, and 5-10mg of each sample was then pre-treated for carbonate oxygen isotopic analysis according to the protocol outlined in Balasse et al (2002). Samples were then reacted with 100% orthophosphoric acid at 90 o C using a Micromass Multicarb Sample Preparation System.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating climate at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), Poland, using oxygen isotopes

Pryor¹,

O’Connell²,

Wojtal³

et al. 2013

Quaternary International

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Between 50,000 and 20,000 years ago, Europe experienced a series of rapid climate change events known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles, which may have made areas of northern Europe more attractive for occupation by early modern humans at certain times than at others. This paper investigates when humans were occupying northern Europe in relation to these climatic changes at the archaeological site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), by applying oxygen isotope analysis of mammoth tooth enamel carbonates (δ18O and δ13C) found at the site. The new isotopic data suggest that mean annual temperatures at Kraków Spadzista were 4-9oC colder than present and, based on comparisons with previously published isotopic data for mammoth in Europe, we argue that the Kraków assemblage most likely formed during a cold Dansgaard-Oeschger event. This suggests modern humans were able to occupy and survive in this area of northern Europe during the harsh cold phases that affected Europe at this time. ABSTRACTBetween 50,000 and 20,000 years ago, Europe experienced a series of rapid climate change events known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles, which may have made areas of northern Europe more attractive for occupation by early modern humans at certain times than at others. This paper investigates when humans were occupying northern Europe in relation to these climatic changes at the archaeological site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), by applying oxygen isotope analysis of mammoth tooth enamel carbonates (δ 18 O and δ 13 C) found at the site. The new isotopic data suggest that mean annual temperatures at Kraków Spadzista were 4-9 o C colder than present and, based on comparisons with previously published isotopic data for mammoth in Europe, we argue that the Kraków assemblage most likely formed during a cold DansgaardOeschger event. This suggests modern humans were able to occupy and survive in this area of northern Europe during the harsh cold phases that affected Europe at this time.

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“…Instead, this study aims to establish the geographic origin of carp consumed in Sagalassos using Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in the inorganic fraction of archaeological mammal teeth and bones have become established methods in palaeoecological and palaeobiological research. The two tracers have been used for the study of seasonal mobility, population dynamics and habitat utilization by prehistoric populations (Balasse et al, 2002;Bentley and Knipper, 2005;Hoogewerff et al, 2001;Knudson et al, 2005;Price et al, 2000;Schweissing and Grupe, 2003;White et al, 1998), procurement distance for construction timber and food (Benson et al, 2003;Reynolds et al, 2005) or migration of ancient elephant populations (Hoppe et al, 1999). However, the approach has never been used to document the former exploitation of aquatic resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxygen and strontium isotopes as provenance indicators of fish at archaeological sites: the case study of Sagalassos, SW Turkey

Dufour

Holmden

Neer

et al. 2007

Journal of Archaeological Science

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In this paper, we investigate the potential use of oxygen and strontium isotope ratios (d 18 O p and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) measured in archaeological fish enamel as provenance indicators. d 18 O p and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr were measured in a suite of archaeological carp remains recovered from the Anatolian townsite of Sagalassos dated to the Early Byzantine period (AD 450e650) and compared to that of modern fish, river and lake waters from the Anatolian region. We used sequential leaches in weak acetic acid to remove diagenetic Sr from fossil tooth enamel, monitoring the effectiveness of this approach by measuring the Sr/Ca ratios of the leachates via an isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry method (ID-TIMS). d 18 O p values mostly excluded a riverine origin. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of one fish overlapped with the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signatures of two lakes in the Anatolian region, and at least one lake (Gölcük) could be removed as a candidate owing to a very distinctive 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signature not found in any of the fish remains. Most of the tooth samples analyzed could not be assigned a precise geographical origin since the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios measured in enamel did not match that of any of the local lakes selected as potential origin. This result suggests that carp may have originated from lakes that have not yet been sampled, although this conclusion is not supported by other archaeological evidence. Alternatively, the lack of correspondence between lakes and fish Sr isotope ratios highlights several possible sources of uncertainties including spatial heterogeneity in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio within a lake, the contribution of dietary strontium to the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of fish tooth enamel, and post-mortem alteration of the tooth Sr isotope signal during fossilization. In spite of the high precision of the strontium isotope analyses and the wide range of variation in the surface waters of the Anatolian lakes and rivers, this method may remain limited to distinguishing between lakes situated in regions of bedrock of very distinct age and geology until these sources of uncertainty are more fully investigated.

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The Seasonal Mobility Model for Prehistoric Herders in the South-western Cape of South Africa Assessed by Isotopic Analysis of Sheep Tooth Enamel

Cited by 360 publications

References 38 publications

Faunal migration in late‐glacial central Italy: implications for human resource exploitation

Faunal migration in late‐glacial central Italy: implications for human resource exploitation

Investigating climate at the Upper Palaeolithic site of Kraków Spadzista Street (B), Poland, using oxygen isotopes

Oxygen and strontium isotopes as provenance indicators of fish at archaeological sites: the case study of Sagalassos, SW Turkey

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