The emergence and evolution of Neolithic cattle farming in southeastern Europe: New zooarchaeological and stable isotope data from Dzuljunica-Smardes, in northeastern Bulgaria (ca. 6200-5500 cal. BCE)

Cattle were of great importance for the Neolithic farmers of southeastern Europe, in particular as farming expanded towards the well-watered regions of Dzuljunica (ca. 6200-5500 cal. BCE), one of the earliest known Neolithic settlements in northeastern Bulgaria. The clear stratigraphy and the substantial Bos assemblage from Dzuljunica Provided us with a great opportunity to investigate the beginning and evolution of cattle husbandry in the northern Balkans through stable isotope and zooarchaeological analyses. The relative abundance of Bos at Dzuljunica leaves no doubt about the importance of beef and cattle herding. Mortality profiles suggest a transition in the early phases of the Neolithic from beef-oriented to mixed beef and milk production husbandry, enabled through intensified post-lactation culling. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel on a limited number of samples provides no evidence for an extended calving season for increasing milk availability or for vertical mobility. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values of bone collagen suggest that cattle were kept near the site, where C-3 and C-4 plants were available in summer, and that they were occasionally foddered with forest resources in the winter. Cattle experience a diachronic reduction in size on a regional scale, possibly due to farmers' choices aimed at more manageable herds consisting of smaller individuals. Restricting intermixing with local aurochs and the arrival of a new type of cattle may also have contributed to this change. Local factors or inter-regional influences may have influenced the ways cattle husbandry evolved at Dzuljunica in particular and in northeastern Bulgaria more generally. More data from the region are necessary to flesh out the role of the interplay among environmental factors, local developments, and inter-regional contacts that facilitate the transfer of skills and traditions relating to the changing modes of cattle husbandry.

Automated summary

Cattle were crucial for Neolithic farmers in southeastern Europe, with evidence from Dzuljunica in northeastern Bulgaria showing a transition from beef-oriented to mixed beef and milk production. The reduction in cattle size on a regional scale may be attributed to farmers' preference for smaller herds, possibly influenced by restrictions on intermixing with local aurochs and the arrival of new cattle breeds. Additionally, local and inter-regional factors likely played a role in shaping the evolution of cattle husbandry practices in the region.