The spread of herds and horses into the Altai: How livestock and dairying drove social complexity in Mongolia.

ABSTRACT: The initial movement of herders and livestock into the eastern steppe is of great interest, as this region has long been home to pastoralist groups. Due to a paucity of faunal remains, however, it has been difficult to discern the timing of the adoption of domesticated ruminants and horses into the region, though recent research on ancient dairying has started to shed new light on this history. Here we present proteomic evidence for shifts in dairy consumption in the Altai Mountains, drawing on evidence from sites dating from the Early Bronze to the Late Iron Age. We compare these finds with evidence for the rise of social complexity in western Mongolia, as reflected in material remains signaling population growth, the establishment of structured cemeteries, and the erection of large monum

SUBMITTER: Ventresca Miller AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9094512 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature