Animal Management Strategies during the Chalcolithic in the Lower Galilee: New Data from Marj Rabba

Price, M.D.; Buckley, M.; Kersel, M.; Rowan, Y.M.

Abstract

The Chalcolithic period in the Southern Levant witnessed increasing social differentiation and economic specialization. Some of the most important sources of economic specialization were animal products, particularly the secondary products of sheep, goats, and cattle. Also important, though neglected in the literature, were pigs. In this paper, we employ faunal data from the recently excavated site of Marj Rabba in the Lower Galilee. In particular, we investigate kill-off patterns, metrical data, and artifactual data. In order to distinguish between sheep and goats, we applied collagen fingerprinting (ZooMS) techniques to caprine teeth. We compare these data to other Chalcolithic sites in the Southern Levant in order to explore the regional differences in animal management strategies during this crucial period of socioeconomic change. In contrast to sites in the Northern Negev and Tulaylat al-Ghassul, animal management strategies at Marj Rabba were not aimed at specialization. Instead, they emphasized risk-minimization. Additionally, similar to sites in the northern Jordan River Valley, domestic pigs were an important resource. Finally, the cattle remains display numerous traction-related pathologies. These pathologies, coupled with the large proportion of sickle blades and the possible architectural remains of grain silos, suggest an emphasis on grain production. The difference between faunal patterns in the Northern Negev, Golan, Jordan River Valley, and Galilee regions points to a highly diverse animal economy in the Southern Levant during the Chalcolithic.

Citation

Price, M., Buckley, M., Kersel, M., & Rowan, Y. (2013). Animal Management Strategies during the Chalcolithic in the Lower Galilee: New Data from Marj Rabba. Paléorient (En ligne), 39(2), 183-200

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2013
• Deposit Date: Mar 7, 2023
• Journal: Paléorient
• Print ISSN: 0153-9345
• Electronic ISSN: 1957-701X
• Publisher: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 183-200
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1179289