Horváth Tünde - Ruttkay, Elisabeth: Mödling-Jennyberg. A Hilltop Settlement of the Boleráz and Leithaprodersdorf Cultures (Budapest, 2023)
CHAPTER 9. ANIMAL BONE STABLE ISOTOPE STUDIES FROM THE MÖDLING REGION (Sándor Gulyás - Tünde Horváth) - 9.1. Introduction (Sandor Gulyas)
CHAPTER 9 ANIMAL BONE STABLE ISOTOPE STUDIES FROM THE MÖDLING REGION Sándor Gulyás - Tünde Horváth 9.1. INTRODUCTION Sándor Gulyás A better understanding of how prehistoric man dealt with livestock and the challenges of environmental constraints is of major interest to archaeologists (e.g. Giguet et al. 2014). The important issues are the alternatives employed by prehistoric communities to control domestic animals in terms of nutritive supplies (fodder and water: Alther 2014; Davies 1941; Karg 1998; Kothieringer et al. 2015; Valenzula et al. 2016). A detailed description of herding strategies and regional adaptations contributes to major insights into ancient socio-economic complexities. Vertical transhumance is an important animal husbandry strategy that provides livestock with consistent access to pastures throughout the year. Due to climatic constraints, the herds are moved according to a seasonal cycle for pasturing, and the animals have access to plant food and water of different origins (Alther 2014; Davies 1941; Davies 2007; Spindler 2003; Valenzula et al. 2016). Studying these issues based on species representation, mortality profiles, and other osteological data has been difficult, as they cannot fully address the seasonal and geographic nature of herd management. In the past years, isotopic biogeochemistry has played a major role in reconstructing palaeodietary habits and palaeoenvironments. The determination of movements during an individual’s lifetime through intra-individual isotopic variations is possible if the diets or environments in each living area are characterized by specific isotopic signatures (618O of environmental water, both drinking water and water available from different plant tissues; 013C of vegetation types available for grazing in the valleys or used as fodder, and of high-altitude vegetation types; Sr and Pb isotope ratios for tracing migration: Ambrose 1990; Bowen 2010; Britton et al. 2020; Capo et al. 1998; Ebersbach 2013; Drucker et al. 2008; Gerling et al. 2012a, Gerling et al. 2012b; Mauer et al. 2012; Snoeck et al. 2020). Isotope measurements of faunal tooth enamel have been used to provide evidence for palaeoenvironments, diet and migration in prehistoric animal populations aiding the elucidation of prehistoric herd management strategies (Beard-Johnson 2000; Bentley-Knipper 2005; Gerling et al. 2012a, Gerling et al. 2012b, Gerling et al. 2017a, Gerling et al. 2017b; Gron et al. 2015; Hakenbeck et al. 2017; Towers et al. 2011). Due to the time-progressive nature of enamel formation (amelogenesis), the isotopic record is not averaged in the analyzed skeletal tissue. Tooth enamel forms rapidly in the dental bud and does not remodel afterwards (Kini et al. 2012; Suga 1982; Suga et al. 1979). Numerous studies have demonstrated that enamel is stable against diagenetic alteration, so the biogenic isotopic signature is not significantly changed (Budd et al. 2000; Capo et al. 1998; Ebersbach 2013; Drucker et al. 2008; Gerling et al. 2012a, Gerling et al. 2012b; Mauer et al. 2012; Snoeck et al. 2020; Zazo 2014). Therefore, knowing the timing of the mineralization of different teeth in each animal (Brown et al. 1960; Hillson 2005), it is theoretically possible to decipher isotopic changes which occurred at a given time during an individual’s lifetime. The analysis of intra-tooth enamel profiles allows the reconstruction of seasonal and annual changes during the life of the individual. Sinusoidal variations found in tooth enamel from modern cattle and sheep are consistent with known climatic changes in the localities where the animal grew up (Gerling et al. 2012a, Gerling et al. 2012b, Gerling et al. 2017a, Gerling et al. 2017b; Gron et al. 2015). In general, four isotopes are useful proxies in studies of seasonal animal husbandry practices (e.g, Arnold et al. 2013; Balasse et al. 2002; Bryant et al. 1994, Capo et al. 1998; Fricke-O’Neil 1996; Fricke et al. 1998; Gerling et al. 2012a, Gerling et al. 2017a; Henton 2012, Kohn 2010; Körner et al. 1988; Lee- Thorp-van der Merwe 1991; Makarewitz 2017a; Makarewicz-Tuross 2012; Marshall-Zhang 1993; Miller-Makarewicz 2017; Montgomery 2010; Nehlich et al. 2009; Pearson et al. 2007; Reitmaier et al. 2017; Slovak-Paytan 2011; Thiessen-Boutton 1988, Thorp-van der Merwe 1987; Wiedemann 2000; Wiedemann et al. 1999). Strontium enters the body through water and food resources, and as its variability is determined geochemically (Bentley 2006; Slovak-Paytan 2011), it is therefore particularly well-suited for investigating the geographic