 | Isotopic Investigations of Pastoralism in Prehistory Pastoralists were a vital economic and social force in ancient societies around the globe, transforming landscapes poorly suited for agriculture into spaces of vast productive potential while simultaneously connecting mobile and sedentary communities alike across considerable distances. Drawing from the rich archaeological records of Asia, Africa, and Europe, Isotopic Investigations of Pastoralism in Prehistory brings together the latest studies employing heavy and light stable isotopic analyses of humans and animals to investigate pastoralist diets, movement, and animal management strategies. The contributions presented in this volume highlight new methodological developments while simultaneously drawing attention to the diverse environmental factors that contribute to isotopic variation in human, plant, and animal tissues. Particular attention is paid to how pastoralist decisions regarding animal pasturing and mobility can be teased out of complex isotopic datasets, and also to the challenges in extracting information on the scales of human mobility in pastoralist landscapes. This volume will appeal to scholars in archaeology, anthropology, and ecology, as well as those with interests in animal management. Alicia R. Ventresca Miller is a bioarchaeologist and stable isotope analyst at the Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel. Her research highlights connections between human societies and environments, with an emphasis on food consumption and production, tracking human mobility, and investigating livestock circulation and movement across the grasslands of Eurasia. Cheryl A. Makarewicz is a Professor of Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry and Zooarchaeology at the Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel. Her research examines animal domestication processes in the Near East, the spread of pastoralism across Eurasia, and the role of the human-animal relationship in structuring sociopolitical interactions in pastoralist societies. |
