Early dispersal of neolithic domesticated sheep into the heart of central Asia

Phys dot org ^ | April 8, 2021 | Max Planck Society

[SunkenCiv]

The site, which was first discovered and excavated by Soviet archaeologists in the 20th century, had yielded an unusual assemblage of stone tools, some of which seemed to have been used for processing grains. Furthermore, sprinkled throughout the layers of the site's geologic strata were the fragmented remains of what appeared to be sheep and goats...

After radiocarbon dating bones and teeth from the site, it became clear that the oldest cultural layer dated at least as far back as ca. 6000 BCE, or more than 8,000 years ago—three millennia earlier than domestic animals were thought to have reached Central Asia.

Burning, cut marks, and other changes to the animal bones showed that they had been butchered, while patterns of microscopic seasonal layering within the animals' tooth cementum indicated that they were slaughtered in the fall, as is common in many herding societies. But because the bones were highly fragmented, the species could not be identified using standard anatomical analysis. Instead, the researchers applied an interdisciplinary approach using both paleogenomics and collagen peptide fingerprinting to identify the animal remains. Comparing their results with the genomes of wild and domestic sheep species from across Eurasia, the researchers made a shocking discovery.

"With each new line of evidence, it became increasingly clear... these were not wild sheep—they were domestic animals," says Taylor.

[SunkenCiv]

Bronze-Iron Age Petroglyphs on the cliff face above the site of Obishir show what are either wild goats, or early domestic goats. Credit: William Taylor

[SunkenCiv]

[KC_Lion]

Ah! That is where liberals come from.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Saye do what?

[DannyTN]

We're lucky they dispersed.

The great sheep gathering of central Asia could have been tragic.