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Widespread permafrost thaw is underway as arctic regions warm at twice the rate of the global average. Greenhouse gases (methane and carbon dioxide) released from thawing organic-rich permafrost soils contribute to a positive feedback loop that further accelerates global warming. There is an urgent need to understand the relationship between past permafrost conditions and palaeoclimatic change, to better predict present permafrost response to ongoing and future climate change. Through sulfur isotope analysis (δ34S) of radiocarbon-dated bone collagen samples spanning the last 50,000 years, we have identified what we term a high-magnitude Late Pleniglacial Sulfur Excursion (LPSE) in Eurasia. This anomaly is geographically widespread and several orders of magnitude higher than the sulfur isotope variation previously attributed to changing animal origin or diet alone. We show that a major change in the terrestrial sulfur cycle related to continental-scale environmental processes are, in this context, representing changing permafrost conditions. Sulfur isotope analysis of faunal samples offer an unrivalled prospect of developing high-resolution, tightly chronologically-constrained records of past permafrost change in relation to global climate changes. This would inform on the sensitivity of permafrost to past climate change, enabling constraints to be put on modelled responses of present‐day permafrost to future climate change. More broadly, our findings indicate animal δ34S values may reflect local environmental conditions, complicating the use of δ34S values as a tool for food origin, animal migration, and archaeological palaeodiet and mobility research.

Nitrogen isotope (δ15N) analysis of animal tissue is widely used in archaeology and palaeoecology to investigate diet and ecological niche. Data interpretations require an understanding of nitrogen isotope compositions at the base of the food web (baseline δ15N). Significant variation in animal δ15N has been recognised at various spatiotemporal scales and linked to changes both in baseline δ15N and animal ecology. Isoscapes (models of isotope spatial variation) have proved a useful tool for investigating spatial variability in biogeochemical cycles in present-day marine and terrestrial ecosystems, but so far, their application to palaeo-data has been limited. Here, we present time-sliced nitrogen isoscapes for late Pleistocene and early Holocene Europe (c. 50,000 to 10,000 years BP) using herbivore collagen δ15N data. This period covers the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition, during which significant variation in the terrestrial nitrogen cycle occurred. Our results show clear changes in spatial gradients of δ15N through time. Prediction of the lowest faunal δ15N values in northern latitudes after, rather than during, the Last Glacial Maximum is consistent with the Late Glacial Nitrogen Excursion (LGNE). We consider the potential of incorporating climatic covariate data into isoscape models but find their inclusion does not improve model performance. These findings have implications for investigating the drivers of the LGNE, which has been linked to increased landscape moisture and permafrost thaw, and for understanding changing isotopic baselines, which are fundamental for studies investigating diets, niche partitioning, and migration of higher trophic level animals.

Iso-Wetlands is a new, NERC-funded collaborative research project involving researchers at UCL Institute of Archaeology, the University of Leeds and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. The project is developing sulfur isotope analysis of archaeological plants and animals as a new tool for exploring hydrological conditions under which agricultural production was taking place. This development has the potential to improve understanding of water management strategies in the past, particularly in relation to seasonal floodwater agriculture and wetland agriculture (for example, rice paddy systems). The project will open wider possibilities for the use of sulfur isotopes in archaeology and ecology to examine wetland habitat use by both people and animals.

A reconstruction of the ancient subsistence economy and land use strategies is presented here for the province of Burdur, more specifically the area south and southeast of Lake Burdur, in southwestern Turkey. This review is based on the results from archaeozoological (including bone collagen carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses) and archaeobotanical analyses available from seven sites, dated to distinct time periods ranging from the Neolithic to the Middle Byzantine period. The data (both published and unpublished) are compiled with information available on settlement development and dynamics, in the study area. Results show changing agrarian and animal husbandry practices for a period of more than 8000 years, ranging between self-sustaining economies to specialised husbandry practices and an intensive agricultural exploitation of the landscape, in relation to human settlement activities.

International audience

The pig predominates the zooarchaeological assemblage of the second Iron Age settlement of Levroux Les Arenes, in a context characterised by intensive craft and trade activities. The pattern of pig mortality profiles (targeting two-year-old animals), standardized butchery cut-marks and the under-occurrence of ham-bearing bones suggest that there was standardized pork production potentially designed for trade. This hypothesis was investigated through enamel δ 18 O analysis, allowing the seasonality of pig births to be determined and the reasons for a particular age class in the kill-off patterns to be explained. Results reveal that pig births were spread across more than half a year, suggesting that slaughter was not seasonally constrained, but was performed to target a specific age class and weight/size at death, thus supporting the hypothesis of standardized pork production in Levroux Les Arenes. For the first time, the stable isotope approach – sequential δ 18 O analysis in pig incisors developed on a modern reference set – has been performed on an archaeological assemblage, after methodological adaptation. The results constitute the first zooarchaeological evidence of such a standardization of meat production from the second century onwards in Gaul.

International audience; In diesem Artikel wird eine vergleichende Untersuchung der Morphologie von Schweinen und Rinder vorgelegt sowie eine Analyse stabiler Isotopen, die die Führung des Schweinebestands in Levroux Les Arènes (Indre, Frankreich) betrifft, um die Veränderungen in den Tierhaltungspraktiken zwischen der Eisenzeit und der Römerzeit in der gallischen Gesellschaft auszuwerten. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass neue Produktionsstrukturen und Vertriebssysteme wahrscheinlich vor dem 2. Jahrhundert v. Chr. eingeführt wurden, und dass bestimmte Größen/Gewichte in der spezialisierten Erzeugung von Schweinefleisch ausgesucht wurden. Die Statur der Schweine und Rinder nimmt zunehmend vom späten 3. Jahrhundert an. Diese Veränderungen sind wahrscheinlich auf eine Entwicklung innerhalb der gallischen Gesellschaft zurückzuführen, die sich auf einheimische Herden stützte. Vielleicht waren sie aber auch eine Reaktion zu Umwandlungen im weiteren wirtschaftlichen Umfeld. Im westlichen Römerreich folgt jede Provinz, und auch Italien, ihren eigenen Entwicklungsprozess, der sich für Schweine und Rinder unterschiedlich entfaltet; dies deutet darauf hin, dass jedes Gebiet seine Tierhaltungsstrategie je nach seinen agropastoralen Eigenschaften, Leistungsfähigkeiten und Ziele angepasst hatte. Translation by Madeleine Hummler; In this article we present a comparative study of pig and cattle morphologies, and stable isotope analysis relating to pig demographic management at Levroux Les Arènes (Indre, France), to evaluate changes in husbandry practices between the Iron Age and the Roman period in Gallic societies. Results indicate the establishment of new production and distribution structures, probably before the second century bc , along with the implementation of a specific size/weight selection for the specialized production of pork. Pig and cattle size evolves progressively from the end of the third century bc . These changes are likely to be the result of an internal evolution within Gallic societies, based on local herds, but possibly they are a response to a broader changing economic climate. Within the Western Roman Empire, each province, and Italy, follows its own evolutionary pattern, which also differs between pig and cattle, suggesting that each region adapted its husbandry strategies according to its agro-pastoral characteristics, capacities, or ambitions.; Pour mieux comprendre les changements dans les pratiques d’élevage survenus entre l’âge du Fer et la période romaine en Gaule, cet article présente l’étude combinée de l’évolution morphologique des porcs et des bœufs et de la gestion démographique des porcs du site de Levroux Les Arènes (Indre, France). Les résultats indiquent la mise en place, sans doute avant le deuxième siècle av. J.-C., de nouveaux systèmes de production et de distribution, et l'existence d'une sélection des porcs abattus à Levroux Les Arènes en fonction d'un format - ou d'un poids – pour une production spécialisée de viande. En Gaule, la taille des porcs et des bœufs évolue progressivement à partir de la fin du troisième siècle av. J.-C. Ces changements résultent vraisemblablement d'une évolution interne aux sociétés gauloises, basée sur des cheptels locaux, mais potentiellement en réponse à des changements économiques plus globaux. Au sein de l'Empire Romain d'Occident, chaque province, ainsi que l'Italie elle-même, semble suivre son propre schéma évolutif, qui en outre diffère entre porcs et bovins, ce qui suggère que chaque région a pu adapter ses stratégies d’élevage en accord avec ses propres caractéristiques agro-pastorales, ses capacités ou ses ambitions.

In temperate latitudes sheep have a seasonal reproductive behaviour, which imposes strong constraints on husbandry in terms of work organization and availability of animal products. During the last 50 years, researchers have focused on understanding the mechanisms driving small ruminants’ reproduction cycles and finding ways to control them. This characteristic is inherited from their wild ancestor. However, the history of its evolution over the 10 millennia that separates present day European sheep from their Near Eastern ancestors’ remains to be written. This perspective echoes archaeologists’ current attempts at reconstructing ancient pastoral societies’ socio-economical organization. Information related to birth seasonality may be retrieved directly from archaeological sheep teeth. The methodology consists of reconstructing the seasonal cycle record in sheep molars, through sequential analysis of the stable oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) of enamel. Because the timing of tooth development is fixed within a species, inter-individual variability in this parameter reflects birth seasonality. A review of the data obtained from 10 European archaeological sites dated from the 6th to the 3rd millennia BC is provided. The results demonstrate a restricted breeding season for sheep: births occurred over a period of 3 to 4 months, from late winter to early summer at latitudes 43°N to 48°N, while a later onset was observed at a higher latitude (59°N). All conclusions concurred with currently held expectations based on present day sheep physiology, which, aside from the historical significance, contributes to the reinforcing of the methodological basis of the approach. Further study in this area will permit regional variability attributable to technical choices, within global schemes, to be fully reported. ispartof: Animal vol:11 issue:12 pages:2229-2236 ispartof: location:England status: published

Ethnographical, historical and archaeological evidence suggests that a great diversity in pig husbandry may have existed in the past. However, such diversity remains difficult to document from traditional zooarchaeological methods and its study may necessitate the implementation of combined methodological approaches. An integrated dental analysis, combining kill-off patterns, traditional and geometric morphometrics, linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), microwear and stable isotope (δ18O,δ13C, δ15N) data, has been performed on assemblages from the neighbouring sites of Düzen Tepe and Sagalassos (SW Turkey) dated to Classical-Hellenistic to Byzantine time periods. Results indicate a diachronic evolution in slaughter practices, and a gradual decrease in pig mean size from the Early-Middle Imperial to the Byzantine. The seasonality of physiological stressing events remains the same, although their intensity varies through time. During the Early Byzantine period (CE 450–700), pig demographic management is characterized by two birth seasons, and a great diversity in diet and scale of management occurred, from free-ranging pigs – whether or not given food supplement - to closely confined wellwatered and more omnivorous pigs. ispartof: Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports vol:11 pages:38-52 status: published

International audience

Since domestication during the mid 11th millennium BP in the Near East and the 8th millennium BP in China, the pig has played an important role in human diet and economy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of stable oxygen and carbon isotopes sequential analyses of pig tooth enamel to investigate pig seasonality of birth and diet, as these are important parameters for the reconstruction of pig herding strategies in ancient societies. A pilot study was performed on a modern reference set composed of five free-range Corsican domestic pigs and four Corsican feral pigs. Tooth enamel from the mandibular incisors (I1, I2), molars (M2, M3) and canines (C) were sampled sequentially to map the stable oxygen and carbon isotope records in the pig mandible. The sequences of ï ¤18O published in this paper may be used as a reference data set for births grouped in mid-autumn and late winter. The ï ¤13C values measured in the wild pigs constitute the first reference set for a wild population living in a Mediterranean environment. Results show that among all sampled teeth (I1, I2, C, M1 and M2), the combination of the sequences of ï ¤18O measured in the first and second incisors provides the most effective data for determination of birth seasonality. The sequences of ï ¤18O measured in the second and third molars were too short and/or dampened to be interpreted in terms of seasonality. In domestic pigs, male evergrowing canines provide a one and a half year record, allowing observation of short-term seasonal variations in the isotopic composition of diet. Applied to archaeological assemblages, the joint stable isotope analysis of incisors and canines will enable the qualification of the seasonal rhythm of pig herding practices, including slaughtering strategies, in more concrete terms. These practices are directly linked to the modalities of pork production but also to the availability of food resources. ispartof: Journal of Archaeological Science vol:39 issue:7 pages:2023-2035 status: published

Ard Vincent, Dufraisse Alexa, Fouéré Pierrick, Frémondeau Delphine, Liard Morgane, Maingaud Audrey, Maitay Christophe. Enfin des traces d’habitat à l’intérieur d’une enceinte du Néolithique récent du Centre-Ouest de la France : premiers résultats et perspectives des fouilles du site de Bellevue (Chenommet, Charente). In: Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, tome 106, n°3, 2009. pp. 597-601.

Au IIe siècle a. C., sur le site de Levroux Les Arènes, l’élevage est spécialisé sur le porc qui tient une place prépondérante dans les assemblages fauniques. L’organisation structurelle des abattages et l’observation d’anomalies dans la représentation de parties riches en viande ont soulevé l’hypothèse d’une viande de porc qui ait constitué une marchandise exportée localement ou sur longue distance. Des analyses des compositions isotopiques en carbone et en azote du collagène de l’os des porcins, des caprinés, des bovins et des chiens de Levroux ont permis de mieux cerner deux questions fondamentales : d’une part le régime alimentaire pour lequel les résultats suggèrent que les porcs avaient probablement un régime herbivore, avec une composante d’élevage en plein air ; d’autre part, le fait que les spécimens traités à Levroux aient pu être recrutés dans différents lieux d’élevage, le village étant alors un lieu de transformation avant une redistribution. ispartof: pages:747-752 ispartof: L'âge du Fer en Aquitaine et esur ses marges. Mobilité des hommes, diffusion des idées, circulation des biens dans l'espace européen à l'âge du Fer pages:747-752 ispartof: colloque international de l'AFEAF location:Bordeaux (France) date:2 Jun - 5 Jun 2011 status: published