scholarly journals Archaeogenetic analysis of Neolithic sheep from Anatolia suggests a complex demographic history since domestication

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erinç Yurtman ◽  
Onur Özer ◽  
Eren Yüncü ◽  
Nihan Dilşad Dağtaş ◽  
Dilek Koptekin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Haplotype Diversity ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
Mitochondrial Haplotype ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Nuclear Polymorphism ◽  
Polymorphism Data ◽  
The Bronze Age

AbstractSheep was among the first domesticated animals, but its demographic history is little understood. Here we present combined analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear polymorphism data from ancient central and west Anatolian sheep dating to the Late Glacial and early Holocene. We observe loss of mitochondrial haplotype diversity around 7500 BCE during the early Neolithic, consistent with a domestication-related bottleneck. Post-7000 BCE, mitochondrial haplogroup diversity increases, compatible with admixture from other domestication centres and/or from wild populations. Analysing archaeogenomic data, we further find that Anatolian Neolithic sheep (ANS) are genetically closest to present-day European breeds, and especially those from central and north Europe. Our results indicate that Asian contribution to south European breeds in the post-Neolithic era, possibly during the Bronze Age, may explain this pattern.

scholarly journals Ancient DNA shows domestic horses were introduced in the southern Caucasus and Anatolia during the Bronze Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (38) ◽  
pp. eabb0030
Author(s):  
Silvia Guimaraes ◽  
Benjamin S. Arbuckle ◽  
Joris Peters ◽  
Sarah E. Adcock ◽  
Hijlke Buitenhuis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
The Caucasus ◽  
Domestic Horses ◽  
Third Millennium Bce ◽  
History Of ◽  
Southern Caucasus ◽  
The Bronze Age

Despite the important roles that horses have played in human history, particularly in the spread of languages and cultures, and correspondingly intensive research on this topic, the origin of domestic horses remains elusive. Several domestication centers have been hypothesized, but most of these have been invalidated through recent paleogenetic studies. Anatolia is a region with an extended history of horse exploitation that has been considered a candidate for the origins of domestic horses but has never been subject to detailed investigation. Our paleogenetic study of pre- and protohistoric horses in Anatolia and the Caucasus, based on a diachronic sample from the early Neolithic to the Iron Age (~8000 to ~1000 BCE) that encompasses the presumed transition from wild to domestic horses (4000 to 3000 BCE), shows the rapid and large-scale introduction of domestic horses at the end of the third millennium BCE. Thus, our results argue strongly against autochthonous independent domestication of horses in Anatolia.

scholarly journals Ancient genomes from present-day France unveil 7,000 years of its demographic history

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (23) ◽  
pp. 12791-12798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Brunel ◽  
E. Andrew Bennett ◽  
Laurent Cardin ◽  
Damien Garraud ◽  
Hélène Barrand Emam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Genetic Landscape ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
Nuclear Loci ◽  
Demographic Patterns ◽  
Low Coverage ◽  
The Bronze Age ◽  
Complete Mitochondrial Genomes

Genomic studies conducted on ancient individuals across Europe have revealed how migrations have contributed to its present genetic landscape, but the territory of present-day France has yet to be connected to the broader European picture. We generated a large dataset comprising the complete mitochondrial genomes, Y-chromosome markers, and genotypes of a number of nuclear loci of interest of 243 individuals sampled across present-day France over a period spanning 7,000 y, complemented with a partially overlapping dataset of 58 low-coverage genomes. This panel provides a high-resolution transect of the dynamics of maternal and paternal lineages in France as well as of autosomal genotypes. Parental lineages and genomic data both revealed demographic patterns in France for the Neolithic and Bronze Age transitions consistent with neighboring regions, first with a migration wave of Anatolian farmers followed by varying degrees of admixture with autochthonous hunter-gatherers, and then substantial gene flow from individuals deriving part of their ancestry from the Pontic steppe at the onset of the Bronze Age. Our data have also highlighted the persistence of Magdalenian-associated ancestry in hunter-gatherer populations outside of Spain and thus provide arguments for an expansion of these populations at the end of the Paleolithic Period more northerly than what has been described so far. Finally, no major demographic changes were detected during the transition between the Bronze and Iron Ages.

scholarly journals Neolithic Thessaly: radiocarbon dated periods and phases

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 34-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agathe Reingruber ◽  
Giorgos Toufexis ◽  
Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika ◽  
Michalis Anetakis ◽  
Yannis Maniatis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Neolithic Period ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Central Greece ◽  
Absolute Dating ◽  
The Bronze Age

Thessaly in Central Greece is famous for settlement mounds (magoules) that were already partly formed in the Early Neolithic period. Some of these long-lived sites grew to many metres in height during the subsequent Middle, Late and Final Neolithic periods, and were also in­habited in the Bronze Age. Such magoules served as the backbone for defining relative chronolo­gical schemes. However, their absolute dating is still a topic of debate: due to a lack of well-defined se­quences, different chronological schemes have been proposed. New radiocarbon dates obtained in the last few years allow a better understanding of the duration not only of the main Neolithic pe­riods, but also of the different phases and sub-phases.

Human trace on the landscape during the Holocene at El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): The palynological evidence

The Holocene ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 1201-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Expósito ◽  
Francesc Burjachs ◽  
Josep M Vergès
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Human Pressure ◽  
Palynological Analysis ◽  
Middle Bronze Age ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Bronze Age

The archaeological research focusing on El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) has revealed a succession of occupation levels in a dung layers context that span from the early Neolithic to the middle Bronze Age. The robustness and coherence of the chronological dates of the sequence have contributed to framing the beginning of farming practices on the northern Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. This study focuses on the palynological analysis of the sedimentary sequence, spanning from ca. 7970–7770 to ca. 3390–3070 cal. yr BP. The results have allowed us to identify a landscape of mixed forest with evergreen and deciduous oaks and pinewood. Despite the discontinuities in such sediments, some fluctuations between different categories of anthropogenic taxa can be observed throughout the sequence, illustrating greater or lesser pressure from livestock or agriculture. From the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, we documented a reduction in the tree cover because of increased human pressure typical of the Neolithisation process, while the relationship between environment and society changes.

scholarly journals 7300 years of vegetation history and climate for NW Malta: a Holocene perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gambin ◽  
V. Andrieu-Ponel ◽  
F. Médail ◽  
N. Marriner ◽  
O. Peyron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Vegetation History ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Pollen Record ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Bronze Age ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract. This paper investigates the Holocene vegetation dynamics for Burmarrad in Northwest Malta and provides a pollen-based quantitative palaeoclimatic reconstruction for this centrally located Mediterranean archipelago. The pollen record from this site provides new insight into the vegetation changes from 7280 to 1730 cal BP which correspond well with other regional records. The climate reconstruction for the area also provides strong correlation with southern (below 40° N) Mediterranean sites. Our interpretation suggests an initially open landscape during the early Neolithic, surrounding a large palaeobay, developing into a dense Pistacia scrubland ca. 6700 cal BP. From about 4450 cal BP the landscape once again becomes open, coinciding with the start of the Bronze Age on the archipelago. This period is concurrent with increased climatic instability (between 4500 and 3700 cal BP) which is followed by a gradual decrease in summer moisture availability in the late Holocene. During the early Roman occupation period (1972–1730 cal BP) the landscape remains generally open with a moderate increase in Olea. This increase corresponds to archaeological evidence for olive oil production in the area, along with increases in cultivated crop taxa and associated ruderal species, as well as a rise in fire events. The Maltese archipelago provides important insight into vegetation, human impacts, and climatic changes in an island context during the Holocene.

scholarly journals Archaeogenetic analysis of Neolithic sheep from Anatolia suggests a complex demographic history since domestication

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erinç Yurtman ◽  
Onur Özer ◽  
Eren Yüncü ◽  
Nihan Dilşad Dağtaş ◽  
Dilek Koptekin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Nuclear Data ◽  
Domestic Sheep ◽  
Gene Pools ◽  
Late Neolithic ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Mitochondrial Data ◽  
Nuclear Polymorphism ◽  
Sheep Domestication

AbstractSheep were among the first domesticated animals, but their demographic history is little understood. Here we analyzed nuclear polymorphism and mitochondrial data (mtDNA) from ancient central and west Anatolian sheep dating from Epipaleolithic to late Neolithic, comparatively with modern-day breeds and central Asian Neolithic/Bronze Age sheep (OBI). Analyzing ancient nuclear data, we found that Anatolian Neolithic sheep (ANS) are genetically closest to present-day European breeds relative to Asian breeds, a conclusion supported by mtDNA haplogroup frequencies. In contrast, OBI showed higher genetic affinity to present-day Asian breeds. These results suggest that the east-west genetic structure observed in present-day breeds had already emerged by 6000 BCE, hinting at multiple sheep domestication episodes or early wild introgression in southwest Asia. Furthermore, we found that ANS are genetically distinct from all modern breeds. Our results suggest that European and Anatolian domestic sheep gene pools have been strongly remolded since the Neolithic.

scholarly journals Neolithic Thessaly: radiocarbon dated periods and phases

10.4312/dp.3 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Agathe Reingruber ◽  
Giorgos Toufexis ◽  
Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika ◽  
Michalis Anetakis ◽  
Yannis Maniatis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Neolithic Period ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Central Greece ◽  
Absolute Dating ◽  
The Bronze Age

Thessaly in Central Greece is famous for settlement mounds (magoules) that were already partly formed in the Early Neolithic period. Some of these long-lived sites grew to many metres in height during the subsequent Middle, Late and Final Neolithic periods, and were also in­habited in the Bronze Age. Such magoules served as the backbone for defining relative chronolo­gical schemes. However, their absolute dating is still a topic of debate: due to a lack of well-defined se­quences, different chronological schemes have been proposed. New radiocarbon dates obtained in the last few years allow a better understanding of the duration not only of the main Neolithic pe­riods, but also of the different phases and sub-phases.

scholarly journals Lockerbie AcademyNeolithic and Early Historic timber halls, a Bronze Age cemetery, an undated enclosure and a post-medieval corn-drying kiln in south-west Scotland

2011 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Kirby ◽  
Sue Anderson ◽  
Mhairi Hastie ◽  
Adam Jackson ◽  
Melanie Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Poor Survival ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
South West ◽  
East End ◽  
The Bronze Age ◽  
Early Historic

Trial trenching carried out by CFA Archaeology Ltd in 2006 to the north of Lockerbie Academy identified four areas of archaeological significance covering a timescale from early Neolithic to post-medieval periods. The earliest site identified was the remains of a Neolithic timber hall, which was situated on top of the flat plateau towards the northwest end of the site (Area A). Pottery recovered from the Neolithic structure was of the Carinated Bowl ceramic tradition.At the summit of the rounded knoll in the centre of the area (Area D) a Bronze Age phase consisting of a cremation and inhumation cemetery enclosed by a possible ring-cairn was identified. The Bronze Age cemetery included a Collared Urn and a copper alloy dagger of Butterwick type.At the base of the rounded knoll, the remains of an Early Historic timber hall were identified (Area C). This Anglian timber hall reoccupied the site of a post-built structure, which was interpreted as a timber hall, possibly belonging to an earlier British tradition. Radiocarbon dates taken from the primary fill of two of the post-holes of the earlier structure gave dates which are broadly contemporary with the dates obtained for the Anglian hall, suggesting that the post-built structure immediately preceded it.A corn-drying kiln was identified cut into the same knoll as the Bronze Age cemetery (Area D) and has been dated to the late medieval or early post-medieval period.A segmented ditched enclosure was located towards the north-east end of the site (Area B), but the poor survival of this feature combined with a lack of finds and palaeobotanical evidence means that it remains undated and poorly understood.

scholarly journals Neolithic pits and Late Bronze Age roundhouses in the Upper Ury Valley, Aberdeenshire

2019 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Moore ◽  
Claire Lingard ◽  
Melanie Johnson ◽  
Ann Clarke ◽  
Mhairi Hastie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Gas Pipeline ◽  
Late Bronze Age ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Pipeline Route ◽  
The Bronze Age ◽  
Small Tributary

Archaeological monitoring of works on a gas pipeline route in Aberdeenshire, north-west of Inverurie, resulted in the discovery and excavation of several groups of Neolithic pits and four Bronze Age roundhouses. The Neolithic pits were concentrated around the Shevock Burn, a small tributary of the Ury, and in the East and North Lediken areas to the north. They produced significant assemblages of Early Neolithic Impressed Ware and of Modified Carinated Bowl. The Bronze Age roundhouses included the heavily truncated remains of a post-built structure near Pitmachie, the remains of a pair of ring ditch structures near Little Lediken Farm, and another ring ditch structure close to Wrangham village.

scholarly journals Reconstructing genetic histories and social organisation in Neolithic and Bronze Age Croatia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Freilich ◽  
Harald Ringbauer ◽  
Dženi Los ◽  
Mario Novak ◽  
Dinko Tresić Pavičić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Social Organisation ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Genome Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Middle Bronze Age ◽  
Genetic Continuity ◽  
The Bronze Age ◽  
Shed Light

AbstractAncient DNA studies have revealed how human migrations from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age transformed the social and genetic structure of European societies. Present-day Croatia lies at the heart of ancient migration routes through Europe, yet our knowledge about social and genetic processes here remains sparse. To shed light on these questions, we report new whole-genome data for 28 individuals dated to between ~ 4700 BCE–400 CE from two sites in present-day eastern Croatia. In the Middle Neolithic we evidence first cousin mating practices and strong genetic continuity from the Early Neolithic. In the Middle Bronze Age community that we studied, we find multiple closely related males suggesting a patrilocal social organisation. We also find in that community an unexpected genetic ancestry profile distinct from individuals found at contemporaneous sites in the region, due to the addition of hunter-gatherer-related ancestry. These findings support archaeological evidence for contacts with communities further north in the Carpathian Basin. Finally, an individual dated to Roman times exhibits an ancestry profile that is broadly present in the region today, adding an important data point to the substantial shift in ancestry that occurred in the region between the Bronze Age and today.

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