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Supplementary Information for: Unexpected morphological diversity in ancient dogs compared to modern relatives

An international conference focused on the beginnings of mining and metallurgy in the Caucasus was organised in Tbilisi in June 16th-19th 2016 under the auspices of the National Museum of Georgia. This conference, which was funded by the Agence nationale de la recherche (France) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Germany), aimed at discussing the intricate relationships between the emergence of mining and metallurgy, and the shaping of late prehistoric societies in south-western Asia. The Caucasus is renowned in Near Eastern archaeology for its wealth in natural resources, in particular in metal ores: for decades, scholars have surmised a specific causal relationships between the rise of complex, hierarchical societies in the Near‑East and the development of extractive metallurgy. Metallurgy, however, is only the most visible part of the story that accounts for the dramatic changes perceptible in south‑western Asia in the course of the 5th millennium BCE. Early mining, which is not restricted to metal-ore mining, certainly also had an impact in terms of economic networks, social dynamics, settlement patterns and regional integration, not only across the Caucasus, but also in the ancient Near and Middle East. Drawing on these fundamental questions, this book explores the socio-economic, technological and environmental background that favoured the rise of systematic mining and extractive metallurgy in the Caucasus at the end of the Chalcolithic. How far was early mining linked to the spread of specific subsistence strategies such as pastoral herding? Were mined resources mainly intended for local consumption or distributed throughout the Near East, towards Anatolia, Iran or Mesopotamia? Here are some of the issues that are discussed in the present volume, which contains 21 articles written by some of the most eminent specialists in Caucasian archaeology. Un colloque international axé sur les origines de l’extraction minière et de la métallurgie dans le Caucase s’est déroulé à Tbilisi du 16 au 19 juin 2016, sous les auspices du Musée national de Géorgie. Ce colloque, financé par l’Agence nationale de la recherche (France) et la Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Allemagne), avait pour objectif d’aborder les relations entre la naissance des mines et de la métallurgie, et l’évolution des sociétés protohistoriques en Asie du Sud-Ouest. Le Caucase est connu en archéologie orientale pour sa richesse en matières premières, en particulier pour ses ressources métallifères ; pendant des décennies, les chercheurs ont présupposé l’existence d’un lien de causalité particulier entre l’émergence de sociétés complexes hiérarchisées au Proche et Moyen-Orient et le développement de la métallurgie extractive. Pourtant, la métallurgie n’est que la partie émergée d’une histoire marquée par des changements spectaculaires tout au long du V e millénaire avant notre ère. L’extraction minière, par exemple, qui ne se réduit d’ailleurs pas à l’exploitation des minerais métallifères, a certainement eu aussi un impact sur les dynamiques sociales, les structures de peuplement, l’organisation des réseaux économiques et les processus d’intégration régionale, en Orient comme dans le Caucase. Partant de ces questions fondamentales, cet ouvrage explore le contexte socioéconomique, technologique et environnemental dans lequel se sont développées la métallurgie et l’extraction minière à la fin du Chalcolithique dans le Caucase. Ainsi, dans quelle mesure les premières exploitations minières sont-elles liées à des stratégies de subsistance spécifiques, tel le pastoralisme ? Les ressources exploitées étaient-elles destinées à la seule consommation locale ? Ou bien étaient-elles aussi distribuées à travers le Proche-Orient, l’Anatolie, l’Iran ou la Mésopotamie ? Tels sont les thèmes abordés dans ce volume, qui contient 21 articles rédigés par quelques-uns des plus éminents spécialistes de l’archéologie du Caucase.

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Present-day domestic cattle are reproductively active throughout the year, which is a major asset for dairy production. Large wild ungulates, in contrast, are seasonal breeders, as were the last historic representatives of the aurochs, the wild ancestors of cattle. Aseasonal reproduction in cattle is a consequence of domestication and herding, but exactly when this capacity developed in domestic cattle is still unknown and the extent to which early farming communities controlled the seasonality of reproduction is debated. Seasonal or aseasonal calving would have shaped the socio-economic practices of ancient farming societies differently, structuring the agropastoral calendar and determining milk availability where dairying is attested. In this study, we reconstruct the calving pattern through the analysis of stable oxygen isotope ratios of cattle tooth enamel from 18 sites across Europe, dating from the 6th mill. cal BC (Early Neolithic) in the Balkans to the 4th mill. cal BC (Middle Neolithic) in Western Europe. Seasonal calving prevailed in Europe between the 6th and 4th millennia cal BC. These results suggest that cattle agropastoral systems in Neolithic Europe were strongly constrained by environmental factors, in particular forage resources. The ensuing fluctuations in milk availability would account for cheese-making, transforming a seasonal milk supply into a storable product.

La culture Hamangia se développe sur le littoral de la mer Noire, dans une région comprise entre l’actuel delta du Danube en Roumanie et le nord-est de la Bulgarie, zone qui englobe les lacs littoraux de Varna et de Bourgas. Elle occupe le sud-est de la Roumanie (depuis la Dobroudja sur la rive droite du Danube jusqu’au sud-est de la Monténie) et le nord-est de la Bulgarie.C’est à l’aide de matériaux issus de recherches de terrain, et notamment des fouilles conduites dans la zone du lac Golovița sur les habitats de Ceamurlia de Jos et de Golovița à Baia, que Dumitru Berciu a construit un modèle chronologique pour la culture Hamangia (Berciu 1966).Depuis 2018 nous avons engagé un travail sur les sites de la zone éponyme de la culture Hamangia, dans la zone de Baia et sur les rives de l’actuel lac de Goloviţa, notamment dans le cadre d’un projet de recherche de l’Institut « Vasile Parvan » et dans le cadre de l’IRP Franco-Roumain « Goche ». Dans le cadre de ce projet, l’ensemble des matériels issus des fouille de Dumitru Berciu a été étudié : 4088 éléments de formes pour le site de Ceamurlia de Jos ; 1244 pour Golovita).De surcroît, nous avons repris et daté les collections issues de la fouille de sauvetage conduite en 1972 par Elena Lazurca à Golovita. Si les travaux conduits par Dumitru Berciu concluaient à une antériorité chronologique de l’habitat de Baia Golovita sur celui de Ceamurlia de Jos, les 12 nouvelles datations radiocarbone que nous avons réalisées montrent que la situation est plus complexe, et que cette hypothèse de travail doit être pondérée, voire abandonnées.A l’appui des données issues des fouilles anciennes et des nouvelles investigations de terrain (carottages et prospections géophysiques), notre objectif est d’opérer une relecture de ces occupations et des modalités du peuplement de la zone riveraine de l’actuel lac Razim par les communautés néolithiques Hamangia (Carozza, Micu, Burens sous presse). A une échelle plus petite, nous poserons la question de la dynamique du peuplement de la zone littorale de la Dobroudja par les communautés agro-pastorales Hamangia et leurs relations avec les sociétés contemporaines., Cultura Hamangia s-a dezvoltat de-a lungul litoralului Mării Negre, într-o regiune cuprinsă între actuala Deltă a Dunării în România și nord-estul Bulgariei, zonă care include lacurile litorale de la Varna și Burgas. Ea ocupă sud-estul României (din Dobrogea, pe malul drept al Dunării până în sud-estul Munteniei) și nord-estul Bulgariei.Pe baza materialelor obținute în urma cercetărilor de teren, dar mai ales a celor rezultate prin săpăturile efectuate în zona Lacului Golovița, în așezările de la Ceamurlia de Jos și Golovița, comuna Baia, Dumitru Berciu a realizat periodizarea culturii Hamangia (Berciu 1966).Din 2018 am început cercetarea siturilor din zona eponimă a culturii Hamangia, respectiv zona Baia și malurile actualului lac Golovița, cercetare desfășurată, în special, în cadrul unui proiect al Institutului „Vasile Pârvan” și în cadrul IRP-ului franco-român „Goche”. În cadrul acestui proiect a fost studiat lotul de materiale provenind din săpăturile lui Dumitru Berciu: 4088 fragmente ceramice (forme identificabile) pentru situl Ceamurlia de Jos; 1244 pentru Golovița.În plus, am preluat și datat colecțiile rezultate în urma săpăturii de salvare efectuată în 1972 de Elena Lăzurcă la Golovița. Dacă din lucrările efectuate de Dumitru Berciu s-a ajuns la concluzia că așezarea Baia Golovița era cronologic anterior celei de la Ceamurlia de Jos, cele 12 noi date radiocarbon pe care le-am efectuat arată că situația este mai complexă, iar această ipoteză de lucru ar trebui ponderată, chiar abandonată.În completarea datelor obținute prin vechile săpături și prin prospecțiuni recente (carotaje și prospecțiuni geofizice), obiectivul nostru este de reevaluare a acestor locuiri Hamangia, a modalităților de populare în zona riverană a actualului Lac Razim (Carozza, Micu, Burens, sub tipar). La o scară mai mică, vom pune problema dinamicii populării zonei litorale din Dobrogea de către comunitățile agro- pastorale Hamangia, precum și relațiile acestora cu celelalte comunități contemporane.

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International audience

International audience

La fouille a permis de mettre au jour sept occupations différentes.La première occupation est représentée par de grandes fosses, possiblement des fosses d’extraction, attribuées à la culture Grossgartach du Néolithique moyen, datée aux alentours de -4800/-4700. Elle se trouve dans une partie basse de la surface décapée, à l’extrémité orientale de la zone. La deuxième occupation intervient quelques siècles plus tard, par la fondation du fossé attribué à la culture dite Bischheim rhénan (Roessen III). L’une des fosses du site, ainsi que plusieurs autres fosses découvertes lors de l’opération conjointe sur la zone du stock sud (opération dirigée par Philippe Lefranc)ager du sont attribuées au Bruebach- Oberbergen, que l’on peut situer entre -4600/4550 et -4350/4300 av. J.-C. Une structure du Néolithique récent, correspondant à la fin du IVe millénaire av. J.-C., isolée, peut être mise en relation avec un site de la même période qui se développe sur la zone du stock sud.Les vestiges de l’âge du Bronze, moins de 5 fosses, sont attribués à la fin du Bronze ancien/début Bronze moyen, soit aux alentours de 1600 av. J.-C.Le site n’est réoccupé qu’au début du second âge du Fer (la Tène ancienne, entre 450 et 250 av. J.-C.) avec l’installation d’une série de fosses et silos. Bien qu’un des silos contenant les restes de plusieurs animaux soit attribuable, par une datation 14 C à La Tène moyenne, on ignore s’il y a continuité exacte avec la dernière implantation attribuée à la fin du second âge du Fer (La Tène finale, entre 150 et 30- 25 av. J.-C.). Il s’agit d’un large fossé en agrafe, de cabanes semi-enterrées et de quelques fosses.

Extant dog and wolf DNA indicates that dog domestication was accompanied by the selection of a series of duplications on the Amy2B gene coding for pancreatic amylase. In this study, we used a palaeogenetic approach to investigate the timing and expansion of the Amy2B gene in the ancient dog populations of Western and Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. Quantitative PCR was used to estimate the copy numbers of this gene for 13 ancient dog samples, dated to between 15 000 and 4000 years before present (BP). This evidenced an increase of Amy2B copies in ancient dogs from as early as the 7th millennium BP in Southeastern Europe. We found that the gene expansion was not fixed across all dogs within this early farming context, with ancient dogs bearing between 2 and 20 diploid copies of the gene. The results also suggested that selection for the increased Amy2B copy number started 7000 years BP, at the latest. This expansion reflects a local adaptation that allowed dogs to thrive on a starch rich diet, especially within early farming societies, and suggest a biocultural coevolution of dog genes and human culture.

Extant dog and wolf DNA indicates that dog domestication was accompanied by the selection of a series of duplications on the Amy2B gene coding for pancreatic amylase. In this study, we used a palaeogenetic approach to investigate the timing and expansion of the Amy2B gene in the ancient dog populations of Western and Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. Quantitative PCR was used to estimate the copy numbers of this gene for 13 ancient dog samples, dated to between 15 000 and 4000 years before present (BP). This evidenced an increase of Amy2B copies in ancient dogs from as early as the 7th millennium BP in Southeastern Europe. We found that the gene expansion was not fixed across all dogs within this early farming context, with ancient dogs bearing between 2 and 20 diploid copies of the gene. The results also suggested that selection for the increased Amy2B copy number started 7000 years BP, at the latest. This expansion reflects a local adaptation that allowed dogs to thrive on a starch rich diet, especially within early farming societies, and suggest a biocultural coevolution of dog genes and human culture.

Extant dog and wolf DNA indicates that dog domestication was accompanied by the selection of a series of duplications on the Amy2B gene coding for pancreatic amylase. In this study, we used a palaeogenetic approach to investigate the timing and expansion of the Amy2B gene in the ancient dog populations of Western and Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. Quantitative PCR was used to estimate the copy numbers of this gene for 13 ancient dog samples, dated to between 15 000 and 4000 years before present (BP). This evidenced an increase of Amy2B copies in ancient dogs from as early as the 7th millennium BP in Southeastern Europe. We found that the gene expansion was not fixed across all dogs within this early farming context, with ancient dogs bearing between 2 and 20 diploid copies of the gene. The results also suggested that selection for the increased Amy2B copy number started 7000 years BP, at the latest. This expansion reflects a local adaptation that allowed dogs to thrive on a starch rich diet, especially within early farming societies, and suggest a biocultural coevolution of dog genes and human culture.

Extant dog and wolf DNA indicates that dog domestication was accompanied by the selection of a series of duplications on the Amy2B gene coding for pancreatic amylase. In this study, we used a palaeogenetic approach to investigate the timing and expansion of the Amy2B gene in the ancient dog populations of Western and Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. Quantitative PCR was used to estimate the copy numbers of this gene for 13 ancient dog samples, dated to between 15 000 and 4000 years before present (BP). This evidenced an increase of Amy2B copies in ancient dogs from as early as the 7th millennium BP in Southeastern Europe. We found that the gene expansion was not fixed across all dogs within this early farming context, with ancient dogs bearing between 2 and 20 diploid copies of the gene. The results also suggested that selection for the increased Amy2B copy number started 7000 years BP, at the latest. This expansion reflects a local adaptation that allowed dogs to thrive on a starch rich diet, especially within early farming societies, and suggest a biocultural coevolution of dog genes and human culture.

Extant dog and wolf DNA indicates that dog domestication was accompanied by the selection of a series of duplications on the Amy2B gene coding for pancreatic amylase. In this study, we used a palaeogenetic approach to investigate the timing and expansion of the Amy2B gene in the ancient dog populations of Western and Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. Quantitative PCR was used to estimate the copy numbers of this gene for 13 ancient dog samples, dated to between 15 000 and 4000 years before present (BP). This evidenced an increase of Amy2B copies in ancient dogs from as early as the 7th millennium BP in Southeastern Europe. We found that the gene expansion was not fixed across all dogs within this early farming context, with ancient dogs bearing between 2 and 20 diploid copies of the gene. The results also suggested that selection for the increased Amy2B copy number started 7000 years BP, at the latest. This expansion reflects a local adaptation that allowed dogs to thrive on a starch rich diet, especially within early farming societies, and suggest a biocultural coevolution of dog genes and human culture.

Extant dog and wolf DNA indicates that dog domestication was accompanied by the selection of a series of duplications on the Amy2B gene coding for pancreatic amylase. In this study, we used a palaeogenetic approach to investigate the timing and expansion of the Amy2B gene in the ancient dog populations of Western and Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. Quantitative PCR was used to estimate the copy numbers of this gene for 13 ancient dog samples, dated to between 15 000 and 4000 years before present (BP). This evidenced an increase of Amy2B copies in ancient dogs from as early as the 7th millennium BP in Southeastern Europe. We found that the gene expansion was not fixed across all dogs within this early farming context, with ancient dogs bearing between 2 and 20 diploid copies of the gene. The results also suggested that selection for the increased Amy2B copy number started 7000 years BP, at the latest. This expansion reflects a local adaptation that allowed dogs to thrive on a starch rich diet, especially within early farming societies, and suggest a biocultural coevolution of dog genes and human culture.

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International audience; L’exploitation du chien, trait culturel chasséen ou caractère des sociétés européennes au tournant des 5e/4e millénaires ?