Description
One of the most consequential developments in the history of human resource use is the onset of dairy production which led to extensive economic, cultural, and technical changes in human societies. To investigate the beginnings of dairying multiple approaches have emerged over the last decades. One of the most promising ones is the study of weaning processes using stable isotope analysis.By reconstructing weaning processes, it is possible to identify human interference with a calf’s natural suckling period. A farmer intent on dairy production will restrict the suckling offspring’s access to milk, retaining it for human consumption. The weaning process and its timing can therefore inform about the intensity of early dairy production.
Changes over time in a calf’s diet, such as the disappearance of dairy, are traceable through means of stable isotope analysis of sequentially sampled tooth dentine. This is possible due to the trophic level effect and the fact that dentine retains the isotopic record of the diet consumed during the tooths formation. By sequential sampling, these values can be accessed, and the weaning process can be reconstructed. However, various challenges remain with this method, foremost in relation to a loss of temporal resolution caused by cross-cutting dentine layers formed at different times in the animal’s life.
In this contribution a new sampling method aiming at improving temporal precision without unduly increasing expenditure of human labour will be presented, as well as a new data set tracing a close to natural weaning process in cattle. The new sampling strategy and data set promise to allow further research to not only verify the presence or absence of human interference in cattle weaning but also a higher degree of comparability between sites and different husbandry strategies.
| Period | 10 Sept 2021 |
|---|---|
| Event title | European Association of Archaeologists: 27th Annual Meeting |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Kiel, GermanyShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |