Abstract
Zooarchaeological and paleoecological investigations have traditionally been unable to reconstruct the ethology of herd animals, which likely had a significant influence on the mobility and subsistence strategies of prehistoric humans. In this paper, we reconstruct the migratory behavior of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and caprids at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the northeastern Adriatic region using stable oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel. The data show a significant change in δ18O values from the Pleistocene into the Holocene, as well as isotopic variation between taxa, the case study sites, and through time. We then discuss the implications of seasonal faunal availability as determining factors in human mobility patterns.
Highlights
The seasonal availability of plant and animal resources was integral to the subsistence and mobility strategies of past human groups [1,2,3,4,5,6] and the migratory behavior of large herbivore species has long been used as a proxy for the mobility of late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers in Europe, relying on modern ethology as a baseline for interpretation (e.g. Paleolithic Epirus, Greece, [7,8,9,10])
This study investigates the mobility of herbivore prey species at the head of the Adriatic (Istria, Croatia) during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (12,000–8,000 years ago) and spans the cultural phases of the Late Upper Paleolithic, the Mesolithic, and the early Neolithic
Caprids act as a control group, preserving the same degree of intra-tooth variability throughout the Pleistocene-Holocene transition
Summary
The seasonal availability of plant and animal resources was integral to the subsistence and mobility strategies of past human groups [1,2,3,4,5,6] and the migratory behavior of large herbivore species has long been used as a proxy for the mobility of late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers in Europe, relying on modern ethology as a baseline for interpretation (e.g. Paleolithic Epirus, Greece, [7,8,9,10]). Since the end of the last ice age, substantial changes in landscape, climate, and human activity have influenced habitat size, vegetation, and population levels. Seasonal predictability and reliability of these faunal resources may have been crucial for human survival at times of environmental change or climatic instability.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
