Armelle Gardeisen

French National Centre for Scientific Research | CNRS · Archaeology of the mediterranean societies

Donkeys transformed human history as essential beasts of burden for long-distance movement, especially across semi-arid and upland environments. They remain insufficiently studied despite globally expanding and providing key support to low- to middle-income communities. To elucidate their domestication history, we constructed a comprehensive genome...

Dental mesowear is a widely used tool in archaeology and palaeontology for the reconstruction of the overall diet of mammals. This method is based on the characterisation of the height and relief of dental cusps, as they vary according to diet. The use of this method on domestic ungulates presents limitations because (1) currently, very few referen...

Sex identification from fragmentary archeozoological assemblages is particularly challenging in the Equid family, including for horses, donkeys and their hybrids. This limitation has precluded in-depth investigations of sex-ratio variation in various temporal, geographic and social contexts. Recently, shallow DNA sequencing has offered an economica...

Alongside horses, donkeys and their first-generation hybrids represent members of the Equidae family known for their social, economic and symbolic importance in protohistoric and historical France. However, their relative importance and their respective roles in different regions and time periods are difficult to assess based on textual, iconograph...

Available : https://rdcu.be/b4ATN Identification of animal pens offers relevant information as to livestock practices in late prehistoric societies. To date, livestock pens have been identified particularly in caves thanks to the recognition of fumier deposits. However, that is more complex in open-air settlements because dung degrades more rapidl...

Mobility is crucial in animal husbandry to overcome scarcity of food and the related over-grazing of pastures. It is also essential to reduce the inbreeding rate of animal populations, which is known to have a negative impact on fertility and productivity. Complex societies with a strong territorial component developed during the Iron Age in Southe...

The study of sexual dimorphism in dog anatomy, especially with regard to skeletal elements, has received little attention. The present work focuses on elements of the canine stylo‐ and zeugopodium, less documented than the skull or pelvis in the literature. In order to identify only sex‐dependent effects, we analysed a single breed: the German Shep...

Low-Magnification Dental Microwear Analysis (LMDA) has been widely applied to reconstruct the palaeodiet of wild ungulates. Quantitative observations of the microscopic scratches and pits on the surfaces of the dental enamel of these species allow to distinguish different diets. LMDA has more recently also served to shed light on the palaeodiets of...

This paper investigates agricultural management choices of farmers at the Neolithic site of Kouphvouno, southern Greece. Previous stable isotopic analysis of charred plant remains and bone animal collagen showed that throughout the Neolithic occupation of this site, farmers employed species-specific strategies to cultivate crops and herd domestic a...

In this work we present a dental microwear analysis on sheep and goats from two sites of the Empordà region (north-eastern of the Iberian Peninsula) : the Greek comptoir of Empúries and the Iberian town of Ullastret. This study revealed a high intake of graminaceous plants in both sites and in the two chronological phases studied. This pattern is c...

This paper presents the results of a pilot study using dental microwear analysis on 23 sheep and goat teeth dated to the 6th century BC from the Iron Age site of El Turó Font de la Canya (Barcelona, Spain). This study aimed to reconstruct livestock management practices and landscape use. The dental microwear pattern indicates that sheep and goats c...

At the present time, only a few Late Bronze Age sites in the French Mediterranean have yielded faunal data. The newly excavated site of La Motte I (Hérault, France) is exceptionally well preserved owing to its underwater context. The discovery of large quantities of pottery, a wattle and some wooden poles allowed the site to be dated to the Late Br...

This paper presents a summary overview of recent work on the faunal and plant remains from the Middle and Late Neolithic contexts (roughly 5800-5000 cal B.C.) excavated at the site of Kouphovouno in central Lakonia. It aims to alert researchers to a number of more specialized studies, some unpublished dissertations, and other recently published jou...

Right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) were extirpated from the eastern North Atlantic by commercial whaling. Grey whales (Eschrichtius robustus) disappeared from the entire North Atlantic in still-mysterious circumstances. Here, we test the hypotheses that both species previously occurred in the Mediterranean Sea, an area not currently considered part...

Integrated stable isotope investigation of plant and animal ecology can shed new light on the practicalities and politics of land management. Ecological analysis of archaeobotanical weed flora offers a complementary approach to arable growing conditions. Here we introduce the first combined study of stable isotope compositions (carbon and nitrogen)...

The equid deposits exhumed from the Pech Maho oppidum are a unique source of information for documenting the morphology of these animals during the Iron Age. About a hundred remains were attributed to the domestic donkey, which is the focus of this study, and confirm the presence of this species in the south of Gaul before Romanization. Up until no...

Présentation d'un travail pluridisciplinaire (carpologie, anthracologie et archéozoologie) afin de comprendre les interactions entre la population installée sur le site de Bessan et l'exploitation des ressources disponibles, au cours des VI ème et V ème s. av. n. è.

The well-cistern of the Iberian Fortress of Vilars (Catalonia, Spain) is a monumental feature dating to the late fifth century BCE (Vilars, phases III-IV). Management of water resources is key to interpreting the nature of the fortress, as water was essential not only for human and livestock consumption, but for irrigation, construction, and crafts...

Description of the initial project of the Phd entitled "Dietary and agropastoral practices in Languedoc at late Bronze Age and at the beginning of Iron Age : from the Mediterranean seacoasts to the foothills of Massif Central" realized by Carole Lespes and directed by Armelle Gardeisen and Thibault Lachenal.

We use stable isotope analysis of crop, faunal and human remains to investigate agricultural strategies and diet at EBA-LBA Archontiko and MBA-LBA Thessaloniki Toumba. Crop production strategies varied between settlements, phases and species; flexibility is also apparent within the crop stores of individual houses. Escalating manuring intensity at...

Proceedings for international Conference, Rethymno, 29-30 may 2015

This article presents two deposits of material in secondary context that came to light in 2008 and 2010 in the northern section of sector Pi at Malia, where the main phase recognized corresponds to the destruction horizon of Quartier Mu (MM IIB). Nevertheless, the ceramics of these deposits belong to an earlier phase dated to the MM IIA, a phase fo...

Despite a general paucity of archaeological, archaeozoological and iconographic evidence from the Upper Palaeolithic through to Late Antiquity, the corpus of whalebone finds in the Mediterranean region indicates that some level of interaction between humans and whales did indeed occur. A concentration of finds from Roman contexts suggests more acti...

Over the last few centuries, many cetacean species have witnessed dramatic global declines due to industrial overharvesting and other anthropogenic influences, and thus are key targets for conservation. Whale bones recovered from archaeological and palaeontological contexts can provide essential baseline information on the past geographical distrib...

This paper presents the results of the zooarchaeological analyses at the Early Bronze Age Archontiko, Giannitsa, and attempts a first synthesis of data. The systematic excavation revealed large samples of zooarchaeological material, such as domestic and wild fauna, turtles and birds, fishes and molluscs that allowed insights into the economical pra...

In this case study, we analyze stable isotope signatures of ancient charred plant and faunal bone remains from Middle-Late Neolithic Kouphovouno in order to investigate the crop cultivation and animal husbandry practices employed by the early farmers. Previous work on the nature of Neolithic agriculture has shed light on the symbiotic relationship...

The Southern Albania Neolithic Archaeological Project’s (SANAP) regional reconnaissance of Early Neolithic sites in 2006 and excavation at Vashtëmi in 2010, 2011, and 2013 sheds new light on the transition to agriculture in southern Europe. Radiocarbon dates from the site places its earliest occupation in the mid-seventh millennium B.C., contempora...

Les études d’archéozoologie classiques ne peuvent répondre à certaines problématiques, notamment l’alimentation des troupeaux et la gestion des ressources qui en découle. La gestion des troupeaux et des ressources qui leur sont allouées est le reflet des pratiques agropastorales, et peut varier selon les régions, l’environnement, les cultures, la c...

The spread of farming from western Asia to Europe had profound long-term social and ecological impacts, but identification of the specific nature of Neolithic land management practices and the dietary contribution of early crops has been problematic. Here, we present previously undescribed stable isotope determinations of charred cereals and pulses...

C'est très tardivement que les Grecs sont devenus un peuple de cavaliers. L'animal, rarement employé dans le sacrifice ou pour le travail, occupait une place à part parmi leurs animaux domestiques. Il n'en avait pas moins une fonction sociale essentielle pour les élites.

Përnjohja në shkallë rajoni e vendbanimeve të neolitit të hershëm në vitin 2006 dhe gërmimet në Vashtëmi në vitet 2010, 2011 dhe 2013 të ndërmarra nga Projekti Arkeologjik i Neolitit të Hershëm në Shqipërinë Jugore (The Southern Albania Neolithic Archaeological Project - SANAP) hedhin dritë mbi çeshtjen e njohjes së bujqësisë në Evropën jugore. Dat...

Ambrussum doit sa notoriété aux recherches menées depuis les années 1970 sur l'oppidum du second Âge du Fer et son rempart, sur la ville du Haut-Empire, ainsi que sur l'agglomération gallo-romaine qui s'est développée à son pied, le long de la voie Domitienne reliant l'Italie à l'Espagne. Ce livre présente un nouveau volet de ce site majeur de l'ar...

La fouille récente d’un puits romain du IVe siècle de notre ère sur le site d’Ambrussum (Hérault) a mis au jour un assemblage faunique correspondant pour l’essentiel à la décharge de cadavres animaux. L’assemblage de chiens exhumés complète celui des chiens trouvés à Lattara (Hérault) en 1998 lors de la fouille de deux puits des Ier et IIe siècles...

The objective for this study is to explore interspecific variations in domestic and wild ungulate diets and management at the Neolithic site of Kouphovouno (Sparta, southern Greece). We tested four hypotheses related to environmental context and livestock management using, for the first time, a combination of mesowear and microwear analyses on a Ne...

Workflow of mammal individual classification at the species level using dental pulp MALDI-TOF MS peptide profiling. (DOC)

Peptide sequencing of human dental pulp: “+” denotes the presence of the protein; “-”denotes the absence of the protein. (DOC)

Results of classification of ancient mammal individuals by MALDI-TOF MS peptide profiling of the dental pulp. (DOC)

Observed mass to charge ratio of unique species-specific peaks (USSPs) (1000 – 3000 Da) from 13 mammal species. “m/z” values in bold characters have been reported by Buckley M. et al. [7]. (DOC)

List of the ancient dental pulp specimens used in the study. (DOC)

In silico analysis of peptide spectrum derived from the human (Homosapiens) dental pulp. (DOC)

The results of in-silico analysis of peptide spectra derived from the modern human (Homo sapiens) dental pulp, from the modern cow (Bos taurus) and the modern dog (Canis familiaris) dental pulp. (DOC)

Results of blindly classification of modern mammal individuals by MALDI-TOF MS. (DOC)

List of the modern dental pulp specimens used in the study. (DOC)

Observed mass to change ratio of semi-specific peaks (SEMPs) (1000–3000 Da) from 13 mammal species. (DOC)

The classification of ancient animal corpses at the species level remains a challenging task for forensic scientists and anthropologists. Severe damage and mixed, tiny pieces originating from several skeletons may render morphological classification virtually impossible. Standard approaches are based on sequencing mitochondrial and nuclear targets....

La fouille du comptoir littoral protohistorique de Pech Maho, reprise en 2004, a fait l'objet de entre 2008 et 2010 d'un second programme triannuel. Les travaux entrepris durant cette période ont principalement porté sur les phases récentes du site, plus précisément sur les phases III (v. 325-225/200 av. n. ère) et IV (v. 200 av. n. ère), cette der...

https://www.persee.fr/doc/bch_0007-4217_2011_num_135_2_7896

KE’ Epistimoniki Synantisi, 1-3 Martiou 2012

Les Prédateurs dans tous leurs états : évolution, biodiversité, interactions, mythes, symboles. Actes des XXXIe rencontres internationales d'archéologie et d'histoire d'Antibes, 21-23 octobre 2010

A great amount of different types of weapons has been found in the archaeological site of Le Cailar (Gard, France). This proto-historic settlement is located in the lower Rhône valley and was founded in the middle, or maybe at the beginnings, of the 6th century BC. Le Cailar was an important port of trade dealing with different Mediterranean produc...

This article presents the results of the zooarchaeological analysis of an abundant and well-preserved assemblage of rabbit bones (more than 4100 remains). This assemblage comes from two Roman pits located in the Roman city of Lattara (Hérault, France) abandoned in the 1st century AD. The taphonomical study demonstrates that animals originally compl...