Palaeoeconomy of the Eurasian steppe: biomolecular studies

Thesis

The Bronze and Iron Age inhabitants of the Eurasian steppe region of the former USSR have long been considered dependent upon their domestic stock as the basis for their diet and economy. Research presented by O’Connell et al. (2000) first proposed that freshwater fish played an important and possibly even dominant role in the diets of central Eurasian steppe groups. This set of studies tests the hypothesis that freshwater fish were a major dietary staple for central Eurasian steppe and border-steppe humans during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Evidence for the frequent consumption of freshwater animals is provided by a large-scale palaeodietary study involving the carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human and faunal individuals obtained from central Eurasian archaeological sites. The palaeodietary evidence for high-freshwater fish diets is supported by the findings that the frequent consumption of dairy products is unlikely to lead to the highly elevated human δ15N values observed in many Bronze and Iron Age humans. Sulphur isotope analysis of human and faunal remains from two Eurasian steppe sites indicate that δ34S analysis can provide limited information by which to distinguish humans with a mainly freshwater from those with a mainly terrestrial diet. The criteria by which bone collagen may be assessed for sulphur isotope analysis are discussed. The analysis of archaeological food residues demonstrates the potential to identify vessels used to prepare fish in antiquity. Residue analysis of vessels from the archaeological site of Chicha suggest that dairying was a subsistence practice carried out at the site, in addition to fishing and the management of domestic herds for meat. A revision of the dietary and economic profile of central Eurasian steppe peoples is proposed, with added emphasis upon the importance of freshwater fish for many groups.

Authors: Privat, K

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-2ndqoxe70
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Palaeodiet; Bronze Age; stable isotopes; Iron Age; Eurasian steppe; lipid residue analysis
• Subjects: Archaeological chemistry; Stable isotopes in ecological research