Faunal Analysis Research Articles

Patrones ganaderos e inferencias culturales en la ciudad islámica de Qartayanna (Cartagena, España)

This paper presents the results of the faunal analysis of the bone remains recovered in the Islamic suburb located on the Roman theater of Cartagena (Murcia), with a broad chronological overview (ss. X-XIII). Thanks to the analysis of 6,940 bone elements recovered in dumps associated with houses, the consumption patterns and livestock strategies of a city that is recovering its importance from the 10th century, within the Islamic orbit, are inferred, which will leave a mark on consumption patterns associated with identity and cultural issues. In this way, the progressive loss of the ruralized image of the previous period (Byzantine era) is observed and progress is made towards a market economy typical of a big city. This work emphasizes the potential of archaeofaunistic studies to determine cultural issues.

Filling gaps in global myrmecology: ants of the Kingdom of Bahrain (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

ABSTRACT We present the first faunal analysis of the ants (Formicidae) of the Kingdom of Bahrain (Bahrain), an island nation in the Arabian Gulf. We document a total of 35 ant species based on published, unpublished and new specimen records, including 26 presumed native species and nine non-native tramp species. The native fauna was predominantly of Palaearctic origin, with a few Afrotropical species. A new species of the genus Lepisiota Santschi, 1926, L. bahrainensis sp. n., is described and illustrated based on the worker caste. Habitat suitability modelling of the ant fauna of Bahrain was generated using a total of 157 recorded points against the panel of 19 bioclimatic factors. We used Maxent software to generate the final map which indicates a significantly high and excellent habitat suitability of species on the northern part of the country and high suitability on the eastern coasts. Our results show that the mean temperature of the driest season is the most effective parameter in modelling the distribution, and we present interpretations of the very low habitat suitability in the extremely arid desert in the southern regions of the main island. Finally, we present ecological and biological remarks and distribution maps for each species. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:18D05DD2-4B64-4A87-8389-582D5714411C http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DA93B16A-C23B-45F8-8C6A-867B8734D587

Applications of Micro-CT Imaging in Age-At-Death Estimates of Maya Dogs

ABSTRACT While there are many techniques for estimating age-at-death in archaeological dogs, the pulp cavity/tooth width ratio is considered one of the most accurate methods. This study adapts this technique for application to MicroCT imaging, a non-destructive methodology that is rapidly gaining ground in faunal analysis. Mandibular first molar and upper and lower canine teeth recovered from two Late Classic-Early Postclassic period sites in the Maya highlands, Moxviquil and Tenam Puente, were imaged using a SCANCO μCT35 MicroCT scanner. The widths of tooth roots, pulp cavities, cuspal enamel thicknesses, and enamel attrition measurements were then taken using both the scanner’s post-processing system and 3D Slicer, an open-access programme designed for imaging biomedical scans and other 3D files, and pulp cavity infilling ratios were calculated to obtain an age-at-death estimates in months for each specimen. Based on these, this study presents preliminary interpretations of canid age-at-death patterns at Moxviquil and Tenam Puente, including a range of juvenile specimens from a funerary cave context at Moxviquil.

Multiproxy faunal analysis of the middle – upper Eocene deposits in the Fayum area, Egypt: Insights into sequence stratigraphy, trophic conditions, and oxygenation

The Eocene epoch experienced significant fluctuations in climate, ranging from intense greenhouse warming to icehouse cooling, which profoundly impacted the global depositional systems. The middle – upper Eocene deposits in Garet Gehannam, Fayum area, Egypt, present an exciting opportunity to explore paleoenvironmental dynamics using a multiproxy dataset of calcareous nannofossils, benthic foraminifera, ostracods, and molluscan assemblages. Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy constrained the studied sequence to the NP17 and NP-19-20 zones. Furthermore, three 3rd-order depositional sequences, BAR.SQ.1, BAR.SQ.2, and PR.SQ.3 were identified. The BAR.SQ.1 sequence encompasses the Gehannam Formation, with a transgressive systems tract (TST) and a highstand systems tract (HST). The BAR.SQ.2 sequence corresponds to the lower Birket Qarun Formation and exhibits a TST/HST pattern. The PR.SQ.3 sequence, however, consists solely of a TST spanning the upper Birket Qarun and Qasr El Sagha formations. The main trend of our multiproxy-based sea level curve shows an overall stepped Tethyan sea level regression within the 2nd-order cycle. This regression is characterized by a transition from outer neritic to inner settings, interrupted by two minor 3rd-order transgressive pulses. This sea level trend was likely driven by global eustatic changes and regional tectonic uplift related to the final collisional phase between Africa/Arabia and Eurasia, which led to the closure of the Neotethys Ocean. Multiproxy faunal analysis reveals a pronounced upsection shift from low-oxic and mesotrophic conditions to well-ventilated, oligotrophic settings tracking long-term sea level fall. The lowering of the sea level may have expanded aerobic ventilation windows on the continental shelf while potentially reducing nutrient influx. Our multiproxy sequence stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental analysis provides insights into the complex interplay of tectonic, eustatic, and climatic influences on the region during the middle – late Eocene episode along the southern Tethyan margin.

An international, open-access dataset of dental wear patterns and associated broad age classes in archaeological cattle mandibles

Zooarchaeologists investigate past interactions between animals, humans, and their environments by analyzing the remains of archaeological fauna. Age-at-death distributions are fundamental to faunal analysis and are often estimated by comparing exposed dentine patterns to standardized tooth wear stages that have been associated with relative age classes. We present Bubona, an international dataset of dental wear patterns and associated broad age classes in archaeological cattle mandibles. Our open-access dataset of 1460 data entries from nine counties is being used to create tooth-type specific reference tables of probable age class attribution for cattle mandibles lacking complete dentition. Bubona is a valuable resource for the innovation of new systems of age estimation for cattle and it is the creators hope that researchers will continue to both help expand the dataset by contributing their own data, as well as utilize the data to refine and innovate age-at-death estimation methods.

More Than Just Food: What 25 Years of Faunal Analysis Has Revealed about Jamestown, Virginia

More Than Just Food: What 25 Years of Faunal Analysis Has Revealed about Jamestown, Virginia

Distinct oxygenation modes of the Gulf of Oman over the past 43 000 years – a multi-proxy approach

Abstract. Changing climatic conditions can shape the strength and extent of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). The presence and variability of the OMZ in the Arabian Sea is of importance to the latter's ecosystem. The state of oxygenation has, for instance, an impact on the pelagic and benthic faunal community or the nitrogen and carbon cycles. It is important to understand the dynamics of the OMZ and related marine environmental conditions because of their climate feedbacks. In this study, we combined three independent proxies to reconstruct the oxygenation state of the water column and bottom water in the Gulf of Oman for the past 43 kyr approximately. This multi-proxy approach is done for the first time at the northeastern Oman margin located in the Gulf of Oman. We used bulk sedimentary nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) and the alkane ratio (lycopane +n-C35)/n-C31 and benthic foraminiferal faunal analysis to reconstruct the strength of the OMZ in the water column and bottom water oxygenation, respectively. Our results show that the Gulf of Oman experienced strong pronounced OMZ and bottom water deoxygenation during the Holocene. In contrast, during Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2), including the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the Gulf of Oman was very well ventilated, with a highly diverse benthic foraminiferal community. This may have been caused by stronger wind-induced mixing and better ventilation by oxygen-rich water masses. Our results also show moderate oxygenation during MIS 3, with deoxygenation events during most of the warmer Dansgaard–Oeschger (D–O) events. We propose two distinct oxygenation modes for the Gulf of Oman: (1) a stable period of either strongly pronounced water column OMZ and bottom water deoxygenation or well-oxygenated water column and bottom water conditions and (2) an unstable period of oscillating oxygenation states between moderately oxygenated (stadials) and deoxygenated (interstadials, D–O events) conditions. The unstable period may be triggered by an interstadial Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) mode, which is required to initiate D–O events.

The fauna from Ratho Kroonkop, a rain-control site in the Shashe-Limpopo Confluence Area, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Rain-control in the Shashe-Limpopo Confluence Area (SLCA) is one sphere in which hunter-gatherer and farmer interaction is archaeologically visible. One avenue of examining this interaction is through faunal analysis. This paper presents an updated taxa list for one of the identified rain-control sites in the SLCA – Ratho Kroonkop. By identifying the taxa accumulated at Ratho Kroonkop and contextualising them using radiocarbon dates and relevant ethnographies, we were able to determine that particular animals were significant to the people who utilised the location as a rain-control site. Additionally, we were able to establish that this significance continued from the K2 period (AD 1000-1220) to the historic period.

Fаunistic Analysis and Distribution of Phytonematodes of Some Fruit Trees of The Southern Regions of Uzbekistan

The article analyzes data on the faunal analysis and distribution of phytonematodes of some fruit trees in the southern regions of Uzbekistan. As a result of the study, 42 species of plant nematodes were identified, belonging to 2 subclasses, 5 orders, 17 families and 25 genera. The basal soil and root system of fruit trees are dominated by the species Cephalobus persegnis, Eucephalobus oxyuroides, Chiloplacus sclerovaginatus, Panagrolaimus rigidus, Rhabditis brevispina, Aphelenchus avenae, Aphelenchoides parietinus, A. bicaudatus, A. blastophthorus, A. composticola, A. limberi, Quinisulcius capitatus, Helicotylenchus erythrinae, Pratylenchus pratensis and Ditylenchus dipsaci.

Human-environment interactions in the Mesolithic – The case of site Paliwodzizna 29, a lakeside site in central Poland

Human-environmental relations before agriculture can be revealed at archaeological sites through multi-method palaeoenvironmental studies, particularly at sites which have both dryland and wetland areas. Paliwodzizna 29 is such as site, being a series of pits and hearths at the edge of Lake Grodno in Central Poland. A combination of faunal analysis, lithostratigraphy, pollen, diaspores, charcoal and sedaDNA from the site revealed seasonal collecting-type occupation based on the catching of pike (a superfood) in the spring in the early Mesolithic, but a different foraging-type pattern of occupation probably in the summer in the late Mesolithic. Subtle human impacts on the local environment are also seen, including probably burning of some woodland and reed-beds as well as localized soil erosion. This analysis reveals the potential of both such sites, and the combined methodology, for the testing of theoretical models of human mobility and activities in the Mesolithic.

A preliminary report of the excavation at Spitzkloof D rockshelter, Namaqualand, South Africa

This paper describes the first excavations of Spitzkloof D rockshelter located in the semi-arid desert of northern Namaqualand, South Africa. The site is in a dry river valley 30 km south of the Orange River, which currently acts as a lifeline for pastoralists with mixed sheep and goat herds. A surface survey of the site revealed pottery, lithics, domesticate remains, ostrich eggshell (OES) fragments and jewellery, glass beads and iron fragments. The stratigraphy is complex reflecting multiple occupations with six layers consisting of large hearths, ash deposits, and multiple pits, some with potential votive (faunal) offerings in their base. Faunal analysis reveals a broad subsistence strategy consisting of low-intensity sheep-keeping combined with the hunting of wild species found on the landscape today. The presence of Equus zebra, a locally extinct water obligate species, suggests occupation during a climatic period that was more humid than today. Radiocarbon dates from the upper layers confirm a Little Ice Age occupation between AD 1667-1936, when the region was cooler and wetter, and a peak in radiocarbon dates indicates a population pulse in the region. Glass trade beads, iron implements, OES beads, as well as fish remains and a limpet shell, potentially indicate that the people occupying Spitzkloof D were part of an extensive trade/interaction network. Future analysis will include increasing sample sizes through continued excavation, detailed lithic analysis, and further radiocarbon dating.

Гіллястовусі раки Львівщини (Crustacea: Cladocera) у гідробіологічних дослідженнях Б. Дибовського та М. Гроховського (за матеріалами круглого столу екологічної комісії наукового товариства ім. Шевченка)

49 taxa of Cladocera were registered in the reservoirs of Lviv region according to the materials of B. Dybovskyi and M. Grohovskyi. From the point of view of faunal diversity, the studied locations can be divided into two groups. The first group of locations (registered 10 or more taxa each): Pelchynsky pond, Yanivsky pond, Big Golosko. The second group of locations (up to 5 taxa are registered): Kilinsky Park, Sobka pond, Small Golosko, Zboishcha, Snopkiv, Horodok, Zhydachiv. The largest number of Cladocera taxa was registered in the Janivsky pond (21 taxa). The smallest number (1 taxon) was registered in the location Zboyishcha. Taking into account the frequency of occurrence, 4 groups of taxa were distinguished. The first group has a frequency of 10 % (34 taxa), the second – 21 % (10 taxa), the third – 30 % (4 taxa), the fourth – 50 % (1 taxa). The most common taxa with a frequency of 30 % include Alona affinis, Leydig., Ceriodaphnia polonica, nob., Peracantha truncata, O. Fr. Müll., Sida crystallina, O. Fr. Müll. The frequency of occurrence of 50 % is characteristic of Simocephalus vetulus, O. F. Müll. The measure of pairwise similarity of the Cladocera fauna of reservoirs of various locations, calculated by the Jaccard index and the Sørensen index, has the same trends. 23 pairs of water bodies do not have common species. For them, the Jaccard index and the Sørensen index are equal to zero. The highest coefficient of similarity of fauna between the reservoirs of the locations Kilinsky Park and Zboiyshche (Jaccard’s index – 33 %, Sørensen’s index – 50 %). The lowest rate was registered for the locations Yaniv – Zhidachiv and Small Golosko – Yaniv (Jaccard’s index – 4 %, Sørensen’s index – 8 %). The Jaccard index is characterized by a larger amplitude of the calculated indicators and gives better differentiation at high and average indicators of similarity. With low indicators of similarity, the Sørensen index is preferred. The conducted research is of particular interest in view of the faunal analysis of Cladocera groups and the comparative characteristics of indicators identifying long periods of time. Such materials are one of the key aspects on which the issue of hydroecological monitoring is based.

Gazma Cave—A Final Middle Paleolithic Site in Azerbaijan: Paleogeography, Chronology, Archaeology

This article describes the Middle Paleolithic industry of Gazma Cave in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. We present data on the stratigraphy, paleontology, chronology, and archaeology of the site. Six lithological layers were identifi ed, three of which (IV–VI) contain abundant archaeological material. The chronology of the site is based on a series of luminescence ages. The deposition of layers IV–VI formed ~55–40 ka BP. Paleontological, pollen, and grain size analysis offer the possibility of reconstructing Late Pleistocene environments around the cave. Faunal analysis indicates steppe, semi-steppe, and wooded mountains, with riparian forests and reeded areas in the fl oodlands. The analysis of 896 artifacts attests to the predominance of Levallois and parallel reduction. The share of Levallois blanks is high. The most common artifacts are Levallois and Mousterian points and side-scrapers; there are also limaces, knives, and a few indistinct Upper Paleolithic types such as end-scrapers and borers. Ventral basal trimming of points and ventral or dorsal thinning of side-scrapers were widely used. All the main indicators show the Gazma industry corresponds to the fi nal Middle Paleolithic assemblages currently known in the Southeastern Caucasus.Gazma is an expressive MIS 3 example of the Taglar industry.

Responses of soil nematode abundance and food web to cover crops in a kiwifruit orchard.

Soil biodiversity plays an important role in both agricultural productivity and ecosystem functions. Cover crop species influence the primary productivity of the ecosystem and basal resources. However, it remains poorly understood how different cover crop treatments influence the community of soil nematodes in an orchard ecosystem. In this study, field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of cover crop treatments with different species numbers, i.e., no cover crop (CK), two cover crop species (C2), four cover crop species (C4), and eight cover crop species (C8), on weed biomass, together with composition, abundance, and metabolic footprint of soil nematode community in a kiwifruit orchard. As compared to the CK group, the groups of cover crop treatments had lower weed biomass, which decreased with the increase of the cover crop diversity. Moreover, for the abundance of total nematodes, fungivores exhibited higher levels in C4 and C8 treatments than that in CK, bacterivores had a higher abundance in C4 treatment, and plant parasites had a higher abundance in C2 and C8 treatments. Cover crop treatments also changed the structure of nematode community and enhanced the nematode interactions and complexity of nematode community network. In addition, C4 increased the Wasilewska index but decreased the plant-parasite index. The metabolic footprints of fungivores were higher in cover crop treatments compared with CK, and C4 and C8 also increased the functional metabolic footprint of nematode. Soil nematode faunal analysis based on nematode metabolic footprints showed that C8 improved the soil nutrient status and food wed stability. Mantel test and redundancy analysis showed that soil microbial biomass nitrogen and carbon, organic carbon, nitrate nitrogen, moisture content, pH, and cover crop biomass were the main factors that affect soil nematode community. In conclusion, cover crop treatments with four or eight plant species displayed a positive role in weed control, improvement of soil health, and promotion of energy flow in the soil food web through the increase in the metabolic footprints of nematodes in kiwifruit orchard.

Новая неолитическая стоянка Приозерная в Нижнем Поволжье

Introduction. The Lower Volga region attracts the attention of specialists because the ancient cultures of this region had a great influence on neighboring regions. This also applies to the Neolithic era, when the inhabitants of this territory had the oldest ceramic production and cattle breeding. A number of questions remain open, as new sources are required. One of them is the site of Priozernaya in the southern part of the Lower Volga region. Methods and materials. Planographic and stratigraphic methods are used to identify the nature of the monument. According to the results of the technical and technological analysis, the ceramics are made of silt. The results of the typological method reveal flat-bottomed vessels ornamented with receding incisions in a geometric style. Stone tools are represented by scrapers, spikes, and knives. Spears and spearheads are made of bones. According to the results of archeozoological analysis, tur, kulan, saiga, tarpan, etc. are represented. According to the results of radiocarbon analysis, dates are obtained. It is 6700–6600 years BP for animal bones and ceramics. Results. The results of the spatial analysis reveal the presence of remnants of dwelling structures. The manufacturing technology and typology of ceramics and stone tools allow us to attribute the monument to the Tentexor type of the late stage of the Neolithic of the Northern Caspian. The results of the faunal analysis confirm the presence of only wild animal species. The hypothesis about the appearance of a producing economy in this region at the late stage of the Neolithic has not been confirmed. Only the dog belongs to the domesticated animals. According to the results of radiocarbon analysis, the site functioned in the second quarter of the 6th millennium BC. The monument is a short-lived hunting camp. The pattern application techniques and the nature of ornamental compositions allow us to detect similarities with the ceramics of the Caspian culture. This suggests assuming the participation of the local Neolithic population in the genesis of the bearers of the Eneolithic tradition. Authors contribution. T.Yu. Grechkina wrote sections about planographic and stratigraphic methods. A.A. Vybornov described ceramic and stone tools. The results are written together.

Using bone technology and ZooMS to understand indigenous use of marine mammals at Iita, Northwest Greenland

The site of Iita in northwestern Greenland had near-continual occupation from 1000 CE to the mid-twentieth century, which presents an unparalleled opportunity to examine diachronic changes in the use of marine mammals for food and raw material resources by Pre-Inuit (Late Dorset) and Inuit–Inughuit—two culturally distinct Indigenous groups. Limited wood in High Arctic environments necessitated the use of antler, bone, and ivory for tool making. Choices in the selection and processing of osseous material reflect changes in the way these two groups used the same resources. However, modification of osseous material during the toolmaking process is often to such an extent that few diagnostic features remain for species identification. Here, we include Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) to identify typically indeterminate pieces of manufacturing debris from preserved collagen. The minimally destructive extraction technique using polishing films had a 99% success rate. The results suggest that selection of raw materials from certain marine mammals, particularly narwhal, by toolmakers at Iita was more frequent than previously understood through traditional faunal analysis alone. There is a paucity of narwhal from the Pre-Inuit (Late Dorset) assemblage, which contrasts starkly with the high frequency of narwhal in the Inuit–Inughuit assemblage. We demonstrate the importance of combining the analysis of bone-tool manufacturing debris with traditional dietary faunal remains to improve our understanding of resource use in coastal environments.

Trematode fauna of fish inhabiting reservoirs of the European part of Russia

The purpose of the research is an ecological and faunal analysis of trematodes in fish inhabiting reservoirs of the European part of Russia.Materials and methods. Helminthological studies were conducted in 23 reservoirs of the European part of Russia from 2011 to 2021. The fish aged two to seven years were analyzed by methods generally accepted in ichthyoparasitology.Results and discussion. Twelve fish species from families Cyprinidae, Percidae, Esocidae and Odontobutidae were found to be infected with 29 trematode species from 14 genera which were represented by 68.9% of metacercariae. Most trematodes had a wide specificity: Tylodelphys clavata was found in 9 fish species; Diplostomum spathaceum and Paracoenogonimus ovatus in 7 species and Apophallus muehlingi in 6 species. The expanded host range for T. podicipina was observed. A. muehlingi, which is an alien species for the Volga-Caspian fisheries basin was identified in most reservoirs. Trematodes by their prevalence in reservoirs are divided into background (5 species), common (6), rare (8) and very rare (10) trematodes. Trematode fauna of fish in reservoirs included 6 to 16 species. The highest species diversity was detected in the Belgorod (16 species), Yakhroma (13 species), Uglich and Chelnav (12 species), Pestovsk and Pyalovsk (11 species) reservoirs. Fifteen trematode species were found in the perch; 12, in the bream and roach; 9, in the pike perch; 8, in the pike and rudd; 6, in the ruff and white bream; 4, in the Volga pikeperch and crucian carp; 3, in the tench; and 1, in the Amur sleeper. The formed foci of trematode infections were observed, namely, postodiplostomosis and ichthyocotylurosis infection. Three trematode species, Pseudoamphistomum truncatum, A. muehlingi and Rossicotrema donicum, were detected that pose a real and potential danger to human health and warm-blooded animals.

Holocene vertebrate fauna in Fergana Valley, Kyrgyzstan, based on fossils from the Obishir-5 rock shelter

Central Asia is a region that, owing to its geographical position, has always been at the intersection of cultures. In the Fergana Valley, located in the very heart of Central Asia, the Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene is characterized by the expansion and intensification of human settlements. This cultural event has previously been linked to global climate changes that took place during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. In order to reconstruct local climatic conditions in the area during this period, it is worth studying the fossil vertebrate faunas from late Quaternary sites in the Fergana Valley. The Obishir-5 rock shelter, dating to the Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene period, discovered in the middle of the 20th century, is a key archeological site in the valley. To date no thorough zooarcheological research has been done on the excavated faunal remains. Here we present the results of the first faunal analysis of the small vertebrates found at this site. We studied the taxonomic composition of remains, which was then used to make paleoenvironmental reconstructions. In total, we identified 13 small mammal species and three bird species. In addition, the assemblage contained one amphibian and two reptile taxa. The faunal composition suggests that during the final Pleistocene and Early Holocene the study area enjoyed a stable climate with vegetation dominated by open biotopes (alpine meadows, steppes, semi-deserts). Its location makes the Fergana Valley an example of a geographically isolated area for a terrestrial fauna which can exist for a long time without being influenced by biotic factors from neighbouring territories.

Herd management and subsistence practices as inferred from isotopic analysis of animals and plants at Bronze Age Politiko-Troullia, Cyprus.

The Bronze Age village of Politiko-Troullia, located in the foothills of the copper-bearing Troodos mountains of central Cyprus, was occupied ~2050–1850 cal BCE. Excavated evidence shows that community activities included copper metallurgy (ore processing, smelting and casting), crop cultivation, and rearing of livestock. Faunal analysis reveals day-to-day subsistence practices that included consumption of sheep, goat, cattle, and pig, as well as community-scale ritual feasting focused on fallow deer, Dama dama mesopotamica. In this paper, we present bone collagen stable isotope data from these taxa to infer how these animals were managed. We incorporate stable isotope baselines calculated from modern cereal grains and compare these to archaeological seeds from Politiko-Troullia. Mean values of δ13C and δ15N cluster for livestock consistent with a diet of C3 plants, with a wider range in goats that suggests free-browsing herds. Higher δ15N values in cattle may reflect supplemental feeding or grazing in manured fields. Plant isotope values suggest livestock diets were predominantly composed of cultivated taxa. In contrast, deer and pig bones produce more negative mean δ13C and δ15N values suggesting that the villagers of Politiko-Troullia complemented their management of domesticated animals with hunting of wild deer and feral pigs in the woodlands surrounding their village.

Paleoeconomy more than demography determined prehistoric human impact in Arctic Norway.

Population size has increasingly been taken as the driver of past human environmental impact worldwide, and particularly in the Arctic. However, sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA), pollen and archaeological data show that over the last 12,000 years, paleoeconomy and culture determined human impacts on the terrestrial ecology of Arctic Norway. The large Mortensnes site complex (Ceavccageađgi, 70°N) has yielded the most comprehensive multiproxy record in the Arctic to date. The site saw occupation from the Pioneer period (c. 10,000cal. years BP) with more intensive use from c. 4,200 to 2,000cal. years BP and after 1,600cal. years BP. Here, we combine on-site environmental archaeology with a near-site lake record of plant and animal sedaDNA. The rich animal sedaDNA data (42 taxa) and on-site faunal analyses reveal switches in human dietary composition from early-Holocene fish+marine mammals, to mixed marine+reindeer, then finally to marine+reindeer+domesticates (sheep, cattle, pigs), with highest reindeer concentrations in the last millennium. Archaeological evidence suggests these changes are not directly driven by climate or variation in population densities at the site or in the region, but rather are the result of changing socio-economic activities and culture, probably reflecting settlers' origins. This large settlement only had discernable effects on its hinterland in the last 3,600 years (grazing) and more markedly in the last 1,000 years through reindeer keeping/herding and, possibly domestic stock. Near-site sedaDNA can be linked to and validate the faunal record from archaeological excavations, demonstrating that environmental impacts can be assessed at a landscape scale.