Carbon Isotope Ratios of Plant n-Alkanes and Microstratigraphy Analyses of Dung Accumulations in a Pastoral Nomadic Winter Campsite (Eastern Mongolia)

IF 1.8 0 ARCHAEOLOGY

Ethnoarchaeology Pub Date : 2018-07-03 DOI:10.1080/19442890.2018.1510614

Natalia Égüez, C. Makarewicz

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引用次数: 21

Abstract

ABSTRACT Livestock fecal remains provide an important source of information on past animal husbandry systems and dung use. A combined micromorphological and biomolecular investigation of dung deposits brings new perspectives into past landscape land use and animal husbandry strategies by providing seasonal-scale information on livestock dietary intake as well as intensity of dung deposition in penning spaces. We conducted microstratigraphic analyses and compound-specific carbon stable isotope analysis of plant n-alkanes of dung deposits associated with pastoral nomadic winter campsites in Mongolia, in order to explore the floral origin of graze ingested by livestock and evaluate its potential biomolecular signatures. Preliminary results show that δ13C values of plant n-alkanes were unusually depleted when compared to carbon isotope values of plant n-alkanes in soil control samples recovered from landscapes with minimal anthropic activity. We highlight the importance of multi-proxy ethnoarcheological studies in identifying biomarkers that convey information on pastoralist animal exploitation practices.

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蒙古国东部游牧冬季营地植物正构烷烃碳同位素比值及粪便堆积微地层分析

牲畜粪便残留物提供了过去畜牧业系统和粪便使用的重要信息来源。粪沉积的微观形态和生物分子结合研究为过去的景观、土地利用和畜牧业策略提供了新的视角，提供了牲畜日粮摄入的季节尺度信息以及围栏空间中粪沉积的强度。研究人员对蒙古游牧民族冬季营地粪便沉积物中植物正构烷烃进行了微地层分析和碳稳定同位素分析，以探索牲畜摄入牧草的植物来源，并评估其潜在的生物分子特征。初步结果表明，与人类活动最小的景观中恢复的土壤对照样品中植物正构烷烃的碳同位素值相比，植物正构烷烃的δ13C值异常减少。我们强调了多代理民族考古学研究在识别传达畜牧动物开发实践信息的生物标志物方面的重要性。

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来源期刊

Ethnoarchaeology ARCHAEOLOGY-

CiteScore

1.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Ethnoarchaeology, a cross-cultural peer-reviewed journal, focuses on the present position, impact of, and future prospects of ethnoarchaeological and experimental studies approaches to anthropological research. The primary goal of this journal is to provide practitioners with an intellectual platform to showcase and appraise current research and theoretical and methodological directions for the 21st century. Although there has been an exponential increase in ethnoarchaeological and experimental research in the past thirty years, there is little that unifies or defines our subdiscipline. Ethnoarchaeology addresses this need, exploring what distinguishes ethnoarchaeological and experimental approaches, what methods connect practitioners, and what unique suite of research attributes we contribute to the better understanding of the human condition. In addition to research articles, the journal publishes book and other media reviews, periodic theme issues, and position statements by noted scholars.