Papers by Jacqueline Meier
PLOS ONE
At the renowned archaeological site of Mycenae, striking depictions of animals in ancient art and... more At the renowned archaeological site of Mycenae, striking depictions of animals in ancient art and architecture, such as the ‘Lion Gate’, reflect the great power of elite residents in the Late Bronze Age. To better understand how social complexity relates to human-animal interactions at Mycenae, more research is needed on the animals who actually lived there. In a first for the archaeological site of Mycenae, we utilized a contextual taphonomic approach and statistical analysis to study a faunal assemblage, focusing on a massive deposit recovered from a well feature located in Room Π of Petsas House. Petsas House was an industrial-residential complex at Mycenae used at least in part by ceramic artisans at the time of its destruction in the Late Helladic IIIA2 period. Intra-contextual analysis of the animal remains detected sub-assemblages with variable histories of animal use and deposition. The results revealed multiple disposal events and possible dog interments. Most of the refuse...
Our compilation of zooarchaeological data from a series of important archaeological sites spannin... more Our compilation of zooarchaeological data from a series of important archaeological sites spanning the Epipaleolithic through Pre-Pottery Neolithic B periods in the Mediterranean Hills of the southern Levant contributes to major debates about the beginnings of ungulate management in Southwest Asia. The data support an onset of ungulate management practices by the Early PPNB (10,500-10,000 cal. BP), more than 500 years earlier than previously thought for this region. There is a clear developmental connection between reduced hunting intensity and the uptake of ungulate management, confirming that this process began in response to local, density-dependent demographic factors. The early process of goat domestication in the southern Levant appears to have been overwhelmingly local. This may have been true for cattle and pigs as well. Nevertheless, the loose synchrony of animal management trends across Southwest Asia was undoubtedly enabled by large-scale social networks that transmitted knowledge. The results add to growing evidence that animal management processes followed multiple regional evolutionary pathways within the Fertile Crescent. Because of its profound impact on all aspects of human sociocultural life, the forager-farmer transition has been subject to intense scrutiny. Its investigation has an especially rich and dynamic history in Southwest Asia, home to the earliest evidence for plant and animal management and domestication 1,2. Although the amount and quality of data have increased tremendously over the last few decades, the details of domestication processes and associated explanatory models are under continual revision. Current controversies concern the timing, background conditions, and nature of domestication trends. While the Fertile Crescent is widely recognized as a heartland of plant and animal domestication, there is less agreement about the areas over which certain species came under management and human-induced genetic alteration 1,3. Early indications of the ungulate domestication process include human control over the reproduction or culling of wild type animals, rather than evidence of extensive genetic or morphologic changes. Did management lead to domestic variants in only one place, or were there concurrent evolutionary hotspots where local conditions catalyzed diverse modes and pathways to change 4,5 ? Because domestication is a process that brings about changes at the level of populations, it may be impossible to pin it to a single location of origin 6,7. Nor is this process unidirectional; it may include reversals, dead ends, interruptions, and multiple episodes of genetic introgression 7-9. Like others 7-9 , we view the process of domesti-cation as a continuum characterized by intensifying human-animal interactions. These range from controlling the movements of wild animals to selective culling, and ultimately, the selective breeding of animals in a captive environment. Here, we explore the early stages of the domestication process when all animals retained the wild phenotype (a.k.a. morphologically wild). We use the term managed to distinguish morphologically wild animals under human control from domesticated individuals that have undergone phenotypic change as the result of long-term human intervention 9. We focus especially on the lesser known, incipient part of the management process, before animals were selectively culled or bred. This scale of interaction is termed "game management" by Zeder 6 or "control in the wild" by Vigne et al. 9 and may include translocation or protection, restriction of movements, or
Science Advances, 2019
Investigating diet breadth is critical for understanding how archaic Homo populations, including ... more Investigating diet breadth is critical for understanding how archaic Homo populations, including Neanderthals, competed for seasonally scarce resources. The current consensus in Western Europe is that ungulates formed the bulk of the human diet during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic, while small fast prey taxa were virtually ignored. Here, we present a multisite taphonomic study of leporid assemblages from Southern France that supports frequent exploitation of small fast game during marine isotope stages 11 to 3. Along with recent evidence from Iberia, our results indicate that the consumption of small fast game was more common prior to the Upper Paleo-lithic than previously thought and that archaic hominins from the northwestern Mediterranean had broader diets than those from adjacent regions. Although likely of secondary importance relative to ungulates, the frequent exploitation of leporids documented here implies that human diet breadths were substantially more variable within Europe than assumed by current evolutionary models.
Our compilation of zooarchaeological data from a series of important archaeological sites spannin... more Our compilation of zooarchaeological data from a series of important archaeological sites spanning the Epipaleolithic through Pre-Pottery Neolithic B periods in the Mediterranean Hills of the southern Levant contributes to major debates about the beginnings of ungulate management in Southwest Asia. The data support an onset of ungulate management practices by the Early PPNB (10,500–10,000 cal. BP), more than 500 years earlier than previously thought for this region. There is a clear developmental connection between reduced hunting intensity and the uptake of ungulate management, confirming that this process began in response to local, density-dependent demographic factors. The early process of goat domestication in the southern Levant appears to have been overwhelmingly local. This may have been true for cattle and pigs as well. Nevertheless, the loose synchrony of animal management trends across Southwest Asia was undoubtedly enabled by large-scale social networks that transmitted knowledge. The results add to growing evidence that animal management processes followed multiple regional evolutionary pathways within the Fertile Crescent. Because of its profound impact on all aspects of human sociocultural life, the forager-farmer transition has been subject to intense scrutiny. Its investigation has an especially rich and dynamic history in Southwest Asia, home to the earliest evidence for plant and animal management and domestication 1,2. Although the amount and quality of data have increased tremendously over the last few decades, the details of domestication processes and associated explanatory models are under continual revision. Current controversies concern the timing, background conditions, and nature of domestication trends. While the Fertile Crescent is widely recognized as a heartland of plant and animal domestication, there is less agreement about the areas over which certain species came under management and human-induced genetic alteration 1,3. Early indications of the ungulate domestication process include human control over the reproduction or culling of wild type animals, rather than evidence of extensive genetic or morphologic changes. Did management lead to domestic variants in only one place, or were there concurrent evolutionary hotspots where local conditions catalyzed diverse modes and pathways to change 4,5 ? Because domestication is a process that brings about changes at the level of populations, it may be impossible to pin it to a single location of origin 6,7. Nor is this process unidirectional; it may include reversals, dead ends, interruptions, and multiple episodes of genetic introgression 7–9. Like others 7–9 , we view the process of domesti-cation as a continuum characterized by intensifying human-animal interactions. These range from controlling the movements of wild animals to selective culling, and ultimately, the selective breeding of animals in a captive environment. Here, we explore the early stages of the domestication process when all animals retained the wild phenotype (a.k.a. morphologically wild). We use the term managed to distinguish morphologically wild animals under human control from domesticated individuals that have undergone phenotypic change as the result of long-term human intervention 9. We focus especially on the lesser known, incipient part of the management process, before animals were selectively culled or bred. This scale of interaction is termed " game management " by Zeder 6 or " control in the wild " by Vigne et al. 9 and may include translocation or protection, restriction of movements, or
Antiquity, 2017
Aurochs played a prominent role in mortuary and feasting practices during the Neolithic transitio... more Aurochs played a prominent role in mortuary and feasting practices during the Neolithic transition in south-west Asia, although evidence of these practices is diverse and regionally varied. This article considers a new concentration of aurochs bones from the southern Levantine Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Kfar HaHoresh, situating it in a regional context through a survey of aurochs remains from other sites. Analysis shows a change in the regional pattern once animal domestication began from an emphasis on feasting to small-scale practices. These results reveal a widely shared practice of symbolic cattle use that persisted over a long period, but shifted with the beginning of animal management across the region.
It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at l... more It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000–9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual activities flourished in the region. As our knowledge of this critical change grows, sites that represent different functions and multiple time periods are needed to refine the timing, pace and character of changing human-animal relationships within the geographically variable southern Levant. In particular, we investigate how a ritual site was provisioned with animals at the time when herd management first began in the region. We utilize fauna from the 2010–2012 excavations at the mortuary site of Kfar HaHoresh—the longest continuous Pre-Pottery Neolithic B faunal sequence in the south Levantine Mediterranean Hills (Early–Late periods, 10,600–8,700 cal. BP). We investigate the trade-off between wild and domestic progenitor taxa and classic demographic indicators of management to detect changes in hunted animal selection and control over herd animal movement and reproduction. We find that ungulate selection at Kfar HaHoresh differs from neighboring sites, although changes in dietary breadth, herd demographics and body-size data fit the regional pattern of emerging management. Notably, wild ungulates including aurochs and gazelle are preferentially selected to provision Kfar HaHoresh in the PPNB, despite evidence that goat management was underway in the Mediterranean Hills. The preference for wild animals at this important site likely reflects their symbolic significance in ritual and mortuary practice.
It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at l... more It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000–9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual activities flourished in the region. As our knowledge of this critical change grows, sites that represent different functions and multiple time periods are needed to refine the timing, pace and character of changing human-animal relationships within the geographically variable southern Levant. In particular, we investigate how a ritual site was provisioned with animals at the time when herd management first began in the region. We utilize fauna from the 2010–2012 excavations at the mortuary site of Kfar HaHoresh—the longest continuous Pre-Pottery Neolithic B faunal sequence in the south Levantine Mediterranean Hills (Early–Late periods, 10,600–8,700 cal. BP). We investigate the trade-off between wild and domestic progenitor taxa and classic demographic indicators of management to detect changes in hunted animal selection and control over herd animal movement and reproduction. We find that ungulate selection at Kfar HaHoresh differs from neighboring sites, although changes in dietary breadth, herd demographics and body-size data fit the regional pattern of emerging management. Notably, wild ungulates including aurochs and gazelle are preferentially selected to provision Kfar HaHoresh in the PPNB, despite evidence that goat management was underway in the Mediterranean Hills. The preference for wild animals at this important site likely reflects their symbolic significance in ritual and mortuary practice.
It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at l... more It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000–9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual activities flourished in the region. As our knowledge of this critical change grows, sites that represent different functions and multiple time periods are needed to refine the timing, pace and character of changing human-animal relationships within the geographically variable southern Levant. In particular, we investigate how a ritual site was provisioned with animals at the time when herd management first began in the region. We utilize fauna from the 2010–2012 excavations at the mortuary site of Kfar HaHoresh—the longest continuous Pre-Pottery Neolithic B faunal sequence in the south Levantine Mediterranean Hills (Early–Late periods, 10,600–8,700 cal. BP). We investigate the trade-off between wild and domestic progenitor taxa and classic demographic indicators of management to detect changes in hunted animal selection and control over herd animal movement and reproduction. We find that ungulate selection at Kfar HaHoresh differs from neighboring sites, although changes in dietary breadth, herd demographics and body-size data fit the regional pattern of emerging management. Notably, wild ungulates including aurochs and gazelle are preferentially selected to provision Kfar HaHoresh in the PPNB, despite evidence that goat management was underway in the Mediterranean Hills. The preference for wild animals at this important site likely reflects their symbolic significance in ritual and mortuary practice.
We investigate the effects of the Last Glacial Maximum (~25,000e18,500 cal BP) on human hunting a... more We investigate the effects of the Last Glacial Maximum (~25,000e18,500 cal BP) on human hunting and
settlement strategies through the study of faunal remains from four Early Epipaleolithic sites located in
the western highlands region of Jordan. Human mobility is monitored by reconstructing site occupation
intensity using zooarchaeological measures of dietary breadth and prey mortality. Our data reveal light
occupation and a mobile human adaptation focused on the hunting of high-ranked adult ungulates and
large-bodied tortoises. Despite their mobile strategy, the Early Epipaleolithic inhabitants clearly
preferred particular locations on the landscape and reoccupied them repeatedly over time.
Religion, Brain and Behavior, Jul 21, 2014
Book Symposium: Big Gods by Ara Norenzayan
Book chapter in: "From These Bare Bones: Raw Materials and the Study of Worked Osseous Objects"
Posters by Jacqueline Meier
Conference Presentations by Jacqueline Meier
Archaeological Institute of America. Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, 2018
La campagne dans le ville. Forms et fonctions des activités agro-pastorales dans la ville, Marseilles, France, 2014
Shelton, K., Kvapil, L., Price, G.C., Meier, J.S. Beyond City and Country at Mycenae: Urban and r... more Shelton, K., Kvapil, L., Price, G.C., Meier, J.S. Beyond City and Country at Mycenae: Urban and rural practices in a subsistence landscape. City in the Country Conference, Marseille, France, October 16-17, 2014.
Text-based and historical accounts are useful in interpreting provisioning strategies in early co... more Text-based and historical accounts are useful in interpreting provisioning strategies in early complex societies regarding animals as they offer direct evidence of managed resources. In the case of the Late Bronze Age (LBA) settlement of Mycenae, Greece, Linear B tablets offer insight into the management and distribution of fauna under the purview of the palatial administration. However, the study of fauna utilized outside of elite areas is needed to understand the nuances of the economic, political and social roles of animals across a broader cross-section of this complex society. The large, well-preserved faunal assemblage excavated from a well at Petsas House at the site of Mycenae, has yielded a unique, temporally-refined view of the faunal economy of a domestic and industrial-use structure located outside of the walls of the elite, state-provisioned hilltop citadel. This study utilizes zooarchaeological analyses of species abundance and body-part representation to explore household subsistence in this multifunctional structure. Next, isotopic data is analyzed to investigate intra-taxonomic variation and delineate disparities in management and distribution of exploited fauna. Finally, these preliminary findings are integrated and discussed in relation to contemporary sites to contribute to the broader picture of regional variation in animal use in the LBA Aegean.
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Papers by Jacqueline Meier
settlement strategies through the study of faunal remains from four Early Epipaleolithic sites located in
the western highlands region of Jordan. Human mobility is monitored by reconstructing site occupation
intensity using zooarchaeological measures of dietary breadth and prey mortality. Our data reveal light
occupation and a mobile human adaptation focused on the hunting of high-ranked adult ungulates and
large-bodied tortoises. Despite their mobile strategy, the Early Epipaleolithic inhabitants clearly
preferred particular locations on the landscape and reoccupied them repeatedly over time.
Posters by Jacqueline Meier
Conference Presentations by Jacqueline Meier
settlement strategies through the study of faunal remains from four Early Epipaleolithic sites located in
the western highlands region of Jordan. Human mobility is monitored by reconstructing site occupation
intensity using zooarchaeological measures of dietary breadth and prey mortality. Our data reveal light
occupation and a mobile human adaptation focused on the hunting of high-ranked adult ungulates and
large-bodied tortoises. Despite their mobile strategy, the Early Epipaleolithic inhabitants clearly
preferred particular locations on the landscape and reoccupied them repeatedly over time.