Seasonal aggregation and ritual slaughter: Isotopic and dental microwear evidence for cattle herder mobility in the Arabian Neolithic

The ethnology of ceremonial animal burials in past societies suggests that tribal networking may underlie animal sacrifices. This notion is tested, asking whether animals were reared by one or many social groups. Herd management of young cattle is approached using oxygen and carbon isotope data in tooth enamel, and slaughter arrangements a few years later through dental microwear. Data from 28 skulls in the Neolithic Kheshiya skull ring (southern Jol, Yemen) indicate the cattle were raised in multiple locations but died in the same season at one location, giving support to the social networking model. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.