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Humans, animals, and the landscape in Neolithic Koutroulou Magoula, Central Greece: An approach through micromorphology and plant remains in dung

Humans, animals, and the landscape in Neolithic Koutroulou Magoula, Central Greece: An approach through micromorphology and plant remains in dung
Humans, animals, and the landscape in Neolithic Koutroulou Magoula, Central Greece: An approach through micromorphology and plant remains in dung

This paper examines evidence on animal diet through the study of dung and its contents in order to discuss animal-related mobility and the use of ecological resources at Neolithic Koutroulou Magoula in central Greece. Micromorphological analysis of intact sediments was employed in order to identify the presence of animal dung in archaeological deposits, thereby providing direct evidence of animal diet. Building on these observations, phytolith and archaeobotanical analyses were used to further investigate plant content of dung-rich deposits. Micromorphology showed that dung was a major contributor to sediment accumulation at the site. It was encountered in trampled (likely penning) deposits, secondary refuse accumulations, and insitu fuel. It was also found that the dung is extremely rich in phytoliths, including wild-grass- and reedderived morphotypes and domesticated cereals. Plant macroremains from dung-rich contexts revealed a similarly diverse picture of animal diet, including cereals, weeds, and fruits. It is thereby suggested that a combination of animal foddering and grazing practices were employed by the inhabitants of Koutroulou. The integration of micromorphology with archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, and other analytical methods, as well as with broader archaeological, on-site and off-site data, provides a more holistic understanding of human and animal relationships with the environment.

Animal diet, Archaeobotany, Micromorphology, Paleoenvironment, Phytoliths
269-280
Berghahn Books
Koromila, Georgia
813adbae-5271-483e-9048-50f41ed90590
Karkanas, Panagiotis
214e3d6e-df66-4d70-a7c6-fb732e322412
Kotzamani, Georgia
724619c1-e212-4b9e-8dad-5d9e6bd86258
Harris, Kerry
fd823c38-05c9-480c-8171-7a3e2e3d2255
Hamilakis, Yannis
e40e6a1a-e416-4561-bf0d-e9e3337ede6a
Kyparissi-Apostolika, Nina
aa6ca62a-80ad-4d8d-be9f-8e304f680b48
Koromila, Georgia
813adbae-5271-483e-9048-50f41ed90590
Karkanas, Panagiotis
214e3d6e-df66-4d70-a7c6-fb732e322412
Kotzamani, Georgia
724619c1-e212-4b9e-8dad-5d9e6bd86258
Harris, Kerry
fd823c38-05c9-480c-8171-7a3e2e3d2255
Hamilakis, Yannis
e40e6a1a-e416-4561-bf0d-e9e3337ede6a
Kyparissi-Apostolika, Nina
aa6ca62a-80ad-4d8d-be9f-8e304f680b48

Koromila, Georgia, Karkanas, Panagiotis, Kotzamani, Georgia, Harris, Kerry, Hamilakis, Yannis and Kyparissi-Apostolika, Nina (2018) Humans, animals, and the landscape in Neolithic Koutroulou Magoula, Central Greece: An approach through micromorphology and plant remains in dung. In, Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction in Neolithic Greece. Berghahn Books, pp. 269-280.

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

This paper examines evidence on animal diet through the study of dung and its contents in order to discuss animal-related mobility and the use of ecological resources at Neolithic Koutroulou Magoula in central Greece. Micromorphological analysis of intact sediments was employed in order to identify the presence of animal dung in archaeological deposits, thereby providing direct evidence of animal diet. Building on these observations, phytolith and archaeobotanical analyses were used to further investigate plant content of dung-rich deposits. Micromorphology showed that dung was a major contributor to sediment accumulation at the site. It was encountered in trampled (likely penning) deposits, secondary refuse accumulations, and insitu fuel. It was also found that the dung is extremely rich in phytoliths, including wild-grass- and reedderived morphotypes and domesticated cereals. Plant macroremains from dung-rich contexts revealed a similarly diverse picture of animal diet, including cereals, weeds, and fruits. It is thereby suggested that a combination of animal foddering and grazing practices were employed by the inhabitants of Koutroulou. The integration of micromorphology with archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, and other analytical methods, as well as with broader archaeological, on-site and off-site data, provides a more holistic understanding of human and animal relationships with the environment.

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More information

Published date: 1 August 2018
Keywords: Animal diet, Archaeobotany, Micromorphology, Paleoenvironment, Phytoliths

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 427264
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/427264
PURE UUID: 26f8ad62-b019-4d56-bf2b-4bba79054bc4

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Date deposited: 10 Jan 2019 17:30
Last modified: 31 Jan 2024 17:53

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Contributors

Author: Georgia Koromila
Author: Panagiotis Karkanas
Author: Georgia Kotzamani
Author: Kerry Harris
Author: Yannis Hamilakis
Author: Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika

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