Investigating the significance of cattle dairying in the Dutch Neolithic:results from zooarchaeological and stable isotope (δ18O, δ13C, and δ15N) analyses

Cattle (Bos taurus) is the primary and the most dominant domesticated species in the Dutch Neolithic. The aim of this article is to explore the nature of cattle herding and whether the first archaeologically visible appearance of domestic cattle corresponds to milk exploitation in the Dutch Delta in the fourth millennium BC. We address these two issues using osteoarchaelogical and stable isotope analyses (δ18O, δ13C, and δ15N) including, the mortality profile, the seasonality of birth, pasture usage, and human dietary practices in Schipluiden, as the key site for understanding the nature of th... Mehr ...