Can evidence of the so-called 'Broad Spectrum Revolution' be found across southern Europe at the end of the Pleistocene and the early Postglacial? If so, what is its significance? Archaeozoological material from four cave and rock shelter sites on the Mediterranean peninsulae was examined to test the evidence for change or continuity of diet over this important period. The sites are Theopetra, in Greece, Mondeval de Sora and Riparo Tagliente, in Italy, and Gruta do Caldeirao, in Portugal, all of which have evidence for late Upper Palaeolithic and/or early Mesolithic occupations by human groups. In addition to these case studies, the sites were put into context using the literature for other important sites in these regions. The conclusion is that there is considerable inter-site variability and indeed intra-site continuity of diet over the transitionary period, and that 'revolution' is a far too loaded term for what actually appears to have occurred.

No description available.

The purpose of this research is to shed light on the question of the origin of pig domestication, at least as regards the Near East. To find out when and where the domestication of this animal first occurred, whether the origin of its domestication was a single event occurring in one part of the world and spreading from there to other regions, or whether it was an event which occurred several times in several places in the world, is clearly an interesting matter for debate. In order to be able to answer these questions in relation to the Near East, large numbers of modern samples of known age and sex are first examined and discriminating criteria elucidated for application to archaeological material. Then, pig remains from a large archaeological sequence are examined on the basis of these well tested criteria. Metrical studies based on a large modern wild pig sample from Hakel in East Germany show that some measurements are more variable than others and suggest which measurements to select to investigate the origin of pig domestication. Among the measurements tried in this current research, tooth width measurements are the most reliable dimensions since they show low sexual dimorphism, low age-related variation and low individual variability. The examination of modern populations from various parts of the world on the basis of the well tested criteria shows that there is a range of variation in size between the samples of wild pig (Sus scrofa). Reliable measurements from several archaeological sites of different periods and regions are compared with those of modern wild pig samples and pig remains from different archaeological periods from the same region. The result of the comparisons suggests that pigs were domesticated during the 7th millennium BC in different regions of the Old World; at least in the Near East, in eastern Europe and in the Far East. The present research draws special attention to the southeastern Taurus in Turkey as this area provides the earliest evidence for the domestication of this animal, possibly sometime between 7250-6750 BC at Çayönü and certainly around 6500-6250 BC at Gritille and Hayaz.

The subject matter of this study is animal names in the Hebrew Bible. Centring on a corpus-linguistic analysis of every word for an animal or type of animal used within the text, it sheds light on the methods and paradigms of categorisation used by the ancient Hebrews and thus on previously unknown aspects of their worldview. The discipline of cognitive linguistics, in particular the prototype theory of categories, is used to interpret the various types and levels of animal classification; a theory on spatiality as the main basis for classification is developed, and new light is shed on a wrongly undervalued theory of cleanness/uncleanness. This theoretical work is also applied to certain texts to prove its usefulness in helping with the translation and interpretation of problematic words and passages. / Thesis (DLitt)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Ancient Languages / DLitt / Unrestricted

La diadromie représente un cycle de vie qui implique obligatoirement des migrations entre la mer et l’eau douce. La diadromie s’est maintenue dans différentes lignées évolutives de poissons, mettant ainsi en évidence l’existence d’avantages adaptatifs comme la capacité à coloniser des milieux vierges ou de mieux exploiter la variabilité spatio-temporelle de l’environnement. Une hypothèse pour expliquer l’origine et le maintien de la diadromie postule que les migrations entre mer et rivière ont pour but de placer les individus dans le milieu qui favorisera la croissance avant la première reproduction. Une croissance en mer et une reproduction en rivière (anadromie) serait favorisée si la productivité primaire en eau douce est inférieure à celle des milieux marins environnants tandis que la situation inverse (catadromie ; reproduction en mer, croissance en rivière) est attendue quand le différentiel de productivité est en faveur des eaux douces. Les résultats de notre étude réalisée à l’échelle du globe confirment cette hypothèse et montrent également que les poissons diadromes se trouvent majoritairement dans des rivières à faible richesse spécifique et/ou ouvertes à la colonisation après le retrait des glaciers au Quaternaire. Leur capacité à coloniser de nouveaux milieux permet aux diadromes d’être très présents sur les îles océaniques. Si la biodiversité sur les îles océaniques a été largement étudiée, très peu d’études ont porté sur les poissons d’eau douce qui s’y trouvent. Notre étude des peuplements de poissons des îles polynésiennes confirme la généralité d’un modèle proposé pour les faunes terrestres prédisant une relation en dôme entre richesse spécifique et âge de l’île. Nos résultats montrent également que la richesse diminue avec la distance au centre de biodiversité le plus proche et augmente avec l’altitude maximale de l’île.Malgré leur succès évolutif, les poissons diadromes se révèlent très vulnérables face aux activités humaines (surexploitation, pollution de l’eau, barrages…). De ce fait, de nombreuses espèces sont classées comme vulnérables par l’IUCN. Paradoxalement, notre étude sur les caractéristiques biologiques et écologiques des espèces qui se sont éteintes récemment à l’échelle du globe n’identifie pas la diadromie comme un facteur aggravant. Cette étude montre que le critère biologique principal menant à l’extinction est l’endémisme et une aire de distribution géographique restreinte. Bien que souvent en déclin, beaucoup d’espèces diadromes ont jusqu’ici échappé à l’extinction du fait de leur aire de distribution initiale de grande taille, résultat probable de leur grande capacité de dispersion. Un très bon exemple est l’esturgeon européen, Acipenser sturio, initialement largement distribué en Europe mais qui après un fort déclin à partir de 1850 ne se reproduit plus que dans le seul bassin de la Garonne. Pour mieux suivre le déclin de cette espèce au cours du temps, nous avons étudié sa distribution avant 1850 à l’aide de données archéozoologiques. L’analyse de ces données suggère une diminution des populations très ancienne, initiée il y a 2500 ans. A l’aide de températures passées reconstituées, nous avons montré que des températures élevées expliquent en partie l’occurrence d’esturgeons dans les sites archéologiques mais sans contribuer à expliquer son déclin. Ces résultats suggèrent un impact de l’homme précoce sur les populations d’esturgeons. Cette thèse a permis de synthétiser les connaissances sur les poissons diadromes concernant leur distribution géographique à diverses échelles de temps et d’espace, et de contribuer à une meilleure compréhension de leur diversité et de leur vulnérabilité. / Diadromous species exhibit a life-cycle implying migrations between freshwater and ocean. Diadromy is observed in many fish lineages suggesting that adaptive traits are associated with this strategy such as better dispersal ability and more efficient tracking of the spatio-temporal variability of the environment. One of the hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution and persistence of diadromy states that the purpose of migrations is to select environmental conditions that will optimize pre-reproductive growth. Growing at sea and reproducing in river (anadromy) is supposed to be favored when freshwater primary productivity is lower in freshwater than in the nearby sea. The reverse (growing in freshwater, reproducing in ocean; catadromy) is expected when productivity is higher in sea than in freshwater. According to our study, conducted at a global scale, this hypothesis holds true. In addition it is shown that diadromous species are overrepresented in species poor rivers and/or in those that have been open to colonization after the retreat of glaciers after the last glacial maximum. Because of their dispersal ability, diadromous species are also over-represented on oceanic islands. Biodiversity on islands is classical topic of biogeography but yet few studies have dealt with freshwater fishes. In our study of fish communities from the Polynesian islands, we demonstrate the generality of a model initially built to explain terrestrial biodiversity on oceanic islands. As predicted by this model, species richness peaks at peaks at intermediate island age. Also revealed by our results are a positive relationship between island elevation and species richness and a decrease in species richness as the distance from the nearest biodiversity hotspot increases. Diadromy has been a successful strategy over geologic times but in face to human activities it seems to contribute to extinction proneness, as exemplified by the numerous diadromous species red listed by IUCN. Paradoxically, our study about the biological and ecological traits shared by the freshwater fishes that have been recently globally extinct does not suggest that diadromy has been a major factor. This study points to endemism and restricted geographic range size as the major determinants of extinction. It seems that because of their dispersal abilities, diadromous species tend to have widespread historical distributions and, even if many species are declining, this prevented most of them from being entirely extirpated. This is well exemplified by the European sturgeon (Asipenser sturio), formerly widely distributed over Europe and now restricted to one reproducing population in the Garonne River, because of dramatic population collapses after 1850. To have a better idea of the fate of this species before 1850, we analyzed archaeozoological records. According to our analyses, sturgeons started to decline a long time ago, about 2500 years ago. Using reconstructed past temperatures, our analyses show that a high temperature increases the probability of finding this species in archeological remains but cannot explain entirely the observed decline. This suggests that human activities impacted sturgeon populations well before the industrial revolution. This thesis by synthesizing species occurrence data over different spatial and temporal scales contributed to a better knowledge about the diversity and vulnerability of diadromous fishes.

Located in today’s southern Israel, Tell el Hesi provides archaeologists with important clues to political and social changes in the ancient Near East. Zooarchaeological and stable isotopic analyses were conducted to evaluate shifts in animal husbandry practices during changing socioeconomic and sociopolitical conditions in the southern Levant. During the Early Bronze Age, Tell el Hesi thrived as an agricultural grain producing center for the southern Levant. The acropolis served as both a storage and redistribution center for the inhabitants of Tell el Hesi. Coinciding with the collapse of the southern Levant, Tell el Hesi was abandoned throughout the Middle Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age. Socioeconomic relations collapsed between the southern and northern Levant as foreign cultures swept into the region. The Iron Age and Persian Period represented constant sociopolitical change as Assyrian and Persian armies battled against Egypt for territory and natural resources, using Tell el Hesi as a military outpost and storage facility for soldiers and equipment. Unsystematic excavations at the site make it difficult to interpret how animals were used at Tell el Hesi over time. Zooarchaeological analysis suggests, however, that amidst constant societal changes at Tell el Hesi, the inhabitants of the site used animals in similar ways throughout time. Statistically, there seems to be little difference in the quantity of animal species represented during the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Persian Period. This suggests that the once common specialized pastoralism found in the Early Bronze Age survived into the Persian Period at Tell el Hesi and was an effective herd management strategy for small populations living in ever changing societies. Future excavation and analysis would be able to further assess this hypothesis. The stable isotope results suggest that domesticated animals at Tell el Hesi were consuming both C3 domesticated grain along with C4 wild grasses. Economically significant animals appear to have been foddered within the city boundaries of Tell el Hesi but predominantly grazed in the surrounding foothill area. Wild animals such as deer, gazelle and antelope share similar δ13C values with the domesticated animals at the site.

Recent debate concerning the suitability of mortality profile analysis for identifying secondary product utilisation within archaeozoological assemblages has prompted the search for alternative methodologies. This research explores the potential of using weaning age to provide insight into herding strategies in ovicaprines, determined through the prevalence of developmental enamel defects. A histological methodology was developed, adapted to the specific nature of sheep molars through an understanding of formation processes and enamel structures. This established a relationship between weaning and developmental defects in modern sheep, revealed as distinct patterns in defect distribution within the enamel. Based on historical/archaeological data a weaning age model was developed for the North Atlantic region by which herding strategies could be recognised, specifically: mixed milk/meat subsistence, with an emphasis on milk (0-2 months) or on meat (2-4 months), and the optimisation of meat and/or wool (4-6 months). This methodology was then tested on archaeological material to interpret husbandry at Iron Age and Norse/Viking period sites. The results of this analysis showed that interpretations were in general agreement with those of mortality profile and correspondence analysis conducted as a methodological comparative. Some disparity, however, highlighted the ability of this new technique to provide more sensitivity in cases of mixed subsistence systems, possibly identifying the economic focus of husbandry, or where mortality profiles are confused. It was concluded that the study of weaning age has potential to provide valuable insight into ovicaprine husbandry in archaeological contexts, adding to the understanding of faunal assemblages, especially when supported with other evidence.

L’impact actuel de l’Homme sur la biosphère affecte l’ensemble des organismes vivants et des milieux. Il est souvent considéré comme étant à l’origine de la 6ème crise d’extinction de masse. La quantification des effets de ce phénomène est cependant complexe car certains ont débuté bien avant que les scientifiques ne s’intéressent à ces questions et ne produisent des données de référence. Ce problème est tout particulièrement manifeste dans les milieux les plus fragiles, telles que les îles, dont les écosystèmes ont pu être bouleversés par l’Homme de manière très rapide et cela avant que leur biodiversité n’ait été documentée. Dans ce cas, les ossements fossiles s’avèrent être les uniques vestiges témoignant de l’existence passée de faunes parfois éteintes. Ils deviennent donc l’unique fenêtre permettant d’entrevoir la biodiversité ancienne de ces milieux. Mon travail de thèse se questionne sur la biodiversité passée au sein de l’archipel de la Guadeloupe (Antilles françaises) à travers l’exemple des reptiles squamates (lézards et serpents). L’étude de près de 40 000 ossements issus de 31 sites archéologiques et paléontologiques datant de la fin du Pléistocène (30 000 B.P.) à nos jours, a permis de mettre en évidence l’évolution de la diversité de ces vertébrés dans le temps ainsi que de leurs relations avec les différentes populations humaines. Ces résultats ont été obtenus grâce à l’utilisation de diverses méthodes (anatomie comparée, morphométries traditionnelle et géométrique, paléohistologie et archéozoologie, récits des premiers voyageurs) et grâce au développement d’approches méthodologiques spécifiques aux squamates. Les données obtenues font état de l’impact limité sur les faunes par les populations humaines amérindiennes ayant occupé la Guadeloupe pendant plus de 4000 ans jusqu’au 17éme siècle. En effet, bien qu’ayant chassé certains squamates (iguanes et améives) et probablement participé à un enrichissement de la faune, les Amérindiens ne semblent pas avoir contribué à appauvrir la biodiversité des squamates guadeloupéens. En revanche, les données fossiles plus récentes démontrent un fort impact sur les faunes de squamates exercé par les populations européennes qui colonisent ces îles à partir du XVIIème siècle. L’effet de cette seconde vague de colonisation se manifeste par la transformation morphologique de certains taxons (réduction de taille, réduction de variabilité morphologique) et par une série d’extinctions totales ou partielles d’espèces (restriction d’aire géographique). Ainsi, le taux d’extinction des squamates de Guadeloupe est estimé entre 47 et 56% depuis 300 ans. Cette vague d’extinctions s’oppose à l’apparente stabilité de la faune des squamates que révèle le registre fossile du Pléistocène et de la première moitié de l’Holocène. Ces résultats démontrent l’intérêt de l’étude minutieuse des faunes fossiles récentes pour une meilleure compréhension de l’impact de l’Homme sur son milieu au cours du temps, un domaine encore relativement peu développé, tout particulièrement pour ce qui concerne les squamates. / Current human impact on the biosphere affects all living organisms and environments. This global phenomenon is often considered as the origin of the 6th mass earth extinction crisis. Yet, the quantification of the effects of this crisis can be problematic because it started long before scientists started to investigate it and to produce reference data. This issue is especially obvious in fragile ecosystems, like islands, which environments could have been quickly modified in relation with anthropogenic phenomena before their biodiversity can have been described. In this case, fossil bones are often the sole remaining remains of past ecosystems and the only possibility to study them. My PhD work is interested in squamate (snakes and lizards) past biodiversity of the Guadeloupe Islands (French West Indies). I studied more than 40 000 fossil bones of squamates from 31 archaeological and paleontological deposits dated from Late Pleistocene (40 000 B. P.) to nowadays. My study reveals the evolution of the diversity of these reptiles along with their relations with past human populations. The results are obtained using several methods (comparative anatomy, traditional and geometric morphometrics, paleohistology and zooarchaeology) and thanks to new methodological tools I developed dedicated to the study of squamate bone remains. My results show the limited impact on squamate faunas of Amerindian human populations who inhabited Guadeloupe islands during more than 4 000 years. Indeed, although these populations seem to have hunted some squamates (iguanas and ameivas) and slightly contributed to enrich squamate diversity, they do not seem to be the cause of any extinction event. At the opposite, European populations who colonized Guadeloupe Islands since the XVIIth century strongly impacted the native squamate biodiversity. These effects take the forms of morphological modification of some taxa (size reduction, reduction of morphological variability) and partial (decrease of geographic distribution) or total extinction of many taxa. Indeed, the extinction rate of squamates species in Guadeloupe during the last 300 years is estimated between 47 and 56%. This recent mass extinction phenomenon strongly contrasts with the apparent stability of the squamate diversity between Pleistocene and the first half of Holocene revealed by fossil data. These results show the interest of studying late quaternary fossil faunas to better understand the impact of Human on its environment, a field of research still largely underdeveloped especially concerning squamates.

The goal of this work was to determinate and analyse osteological material from an archeological site, which was dated from high Middle Ages to early modern period. Then, the results were compared to other literature engaging in similarly dated localities.

Abstract: Recent debate concerning the suitability of mortality profile analysis for identifying secondary product utilisation within archaeozoological assemblages has prompted the search for alternative methodologies. This research explores the potential of using weaning age to provide insight into herding strategies in ovicaprines, determined through the prevalence of developmental enamel defects. A histological methodology was developed, adapted to the specific nature of sheep molars through an understanding of formation processes and enamel structures. This established a relationship between weaning and developmental defects in modern sheep, revealed as distinct patterns in defect distribution within the enamel. Based on historical/archaeological data a weaning age model was developed for the North Atlantic region by which herding strategies could be recognised, specifically: mixed milk/meat subsistence, with an emphasis on milk (0-2 months) or on meat (2-4 months), and the optimisation of meat and/or wool (4-6 months). This methodology was then tested on archaeological material to interpret husbandry at Iron Age and Norse/Viking period sites. The results of this analysis showed that interpretations were in general agreement with those of mortality profile and correspondence analysis conducted as a methodological comparative. Some disparity, however, highlighted the ability of this new technique to provide more sensitivity in cases of mixed subsistence systems, possibly identifying the economic focus of husbandry, or where mortality profiles are confused. It was concluded that the study of weaning age has potential to provide valuable insight into ovicaprine husbandry in archaeological contexts, adding to the understanding of faunal assemblages, especially when supported with other evidence. / Recent debate concerning the suitability of mortality profile analysis for identifying secondary product utilisation within archaeozoological assemblages has prompted the search for alternative methodologies. This research explores the potential of using weaning age to provide insight into herding strategies in ovicaprines, determined through the prevalence of developmental enamel defects. A histological methodology was developed, adapted to the specific nature of sheep molars through an understanding of formation processes and enamel structures. This established a relationship between weaning and developmental defects in modern sheep, revealed as distinct patterns in defect distribution within the enamel. Based on historical/archaeological data a weaning age model was developed for the North Atlantic region by which herding strategies could be recognised, specifically: mixed milk/meat subsistence, with an emphasis on milk (0-2 months) or on meat (2-4 months), and the optimisation of meat and/or wool (4-6 months). This methodology was then tested on archaeological material to interpret husbandry at Iron Age and Norse/Viking period sites. The results of this analysis showed that interpretations were in general agreement with those of mortality profile and correspondence analysis conducted as a methodological comparative. Some disparity, however, highlighted the ability of this new technique to provide more sensitivity in cases of mixed subsistence systems, possibly identifying the economic focus of husbandry, or where mortality profiles are confused. It was concluded that the study of weaning age has potential to provide valuable insight into ovicaprine husbandry in archaeological contexts, adding to the understanding of faunal assemblages, especially when supported with other evidence.