Pig management in the Neolithic Near East and East Asia clarified with isotope analyses of bulk collagen and amino acids

• DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.944104
• Publication Date: 2022-08-06T04:11:38Z
• Authors: Yu Itahashi
• Keywords: Omnivore; Isotope Analysis; Isotopes of nitrogen; δ15N

The chemical analysis of animal bones from ancient sites has become a common approach in archeological research investigating utilization and domestication by past humans. Although several indicators have been used to determine pig management practices societies, one indicator that can clarify human-animal relationships the early stages is change animal’s diet its wild diet, which be detected using isotope bones. Omnivores, such as boars, are assumed shared foods with humans their interaction increased, shift isotopic (carbon nitrogen) compositions bone collagen toward considered evidence domestication. This found early-stage human leftovers feces prehistoric East Asia, including Neolithic China, Korea Japan. However, Near East, origins domestication, even individual animals domesticated pigs according zooarcheological data (such morphological characteristics mortality patterns) display bulk differ those but close herbivores. result indicates these were fed special foods, legumes, rather than or feces. carbon nitrogen herbivores at same showed huge variations, so interpretation pigs’ consequently unclear. In this study, compound-specific was strategies unique Turkey Syria, together collagen. study examines diversity techniques agricultural societies relationship availability other domestic farming practices.