Sophisticated cattle dairy husbandry at Borduşani-Popină (Romania, fifth millennium BC): the evidence from complementary analysis of mortality profiles and stable isotopes

Abstract

Borduşani-Popină is a Gumelniţa tell site in south-eastern Romania. The cattle mortality profile suggests a husbandry oriented towards prime meat exploitation and dairy production highlighted by the keeping of cattle to advanced age. Besides, the culling strategy also targeted young calves. A stable isotope ratio study was undertaken on dental rows. Bone and dentine collagen δ¹⁵N values show that the calves within the slaughtering peak were well-advanced in the weaning process, suggesting that the slaughter was delayed until the end of the cows’ lactation. A consequence would be the sharing of milk production between herders and calves. High inter- and intra-individual variability in bone collagen and enamel bioapatite δ¹³C values indicated variations in the seasonal ratio of C₄ and C₃ plants in fodder and between age groups. Overall, the complementary study of mortality profiles and stable isotopes provide evidence of sophisticated husbandry during the fifth millennium cal. bc.

Keywords:

• Stable isotopes
• Chalcolithic
• Cattle husbandry
• Dairy production
• Seasonality
• Mortality profiles

Acknowledgements

The isotope study was carried out by RG under the supervision of MB during her doctorate funded by SIANHE (ERC starting grant GA 202881) and the seventh EU framework Marie Curie Initial Training Networks LeCHE (FP7-ITN-215362-2). The mortality profile analysis was carried out by SB during a post-doctorate fellowship from the Fyseen foundation under the supervision of AB. This work (AB and DP) was supported by a grant of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI (PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0982). Thank you to Anne Tresset, Carrie Wright, Robin Bendrey and Carlos Tornero for their comments and discussion during the stable isotopes analysis.