Preparing the feast: understanding the nature of agricultural economy at Neolithic Makriyalos, northern Greece, using multiple isotopes

Summary

The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the agricultural management strategies employed by farmers at Neolithic Makriyalos, northern Greece. Building on results of previous archaeobotanical and archaeozoological analyses, it brings together the results of a series of stable isotope measurements to ask questions about the scale and intensity of farming at a Neolithic flat ‘extended’ site. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of charred plants will be used to infer crop-growing conditions (such as soil fertility) and, together with the values of domestic and wild animal remains, will help interpret possible dietary sources of protein for the humans. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope values from sheep/cattle tooth enamel carbonate will be used to assess seasonal variation in diets and grazing behavior of these domestic animals. Finally, in view of the site’s role as a center for communal feasting, strontium isotopes from tooth enamel will be used to assess whether the cattle slaughtered at this feast were managed locally and/or imported from elsewhere. This study demonstrates the usefulness of combining several strands of stable isotope analysis to address new questions about the nature of ancient farming economy.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage