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Cited by 51Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesForensic and Genetic ResearchGenetic and phenotypic traits in livestock

Eastern Mediterranean Mobility in the Bronze and Early Iron Ages: Inferences from Ancient DNA of Pigs and Cattle

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Meiri, Meirav, Stockhammer, Philipp W., Marom, Nimrod, Bar-Oz, Guy, Sapir-Hen, Lidar, Morgenstern, Peggy, Macheridis, Stella, Rosen, Baruch +3 more·2017·Scientific Reports
DOI 10.1038/s41598-017-00701-yPMC PMC5429671
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Abstract

The Late Bronze of the Eastern Mediterranean (1550–1150 BCE) was a period of strong commercial relations and great prosperity, which ended in collapse and migration of groups to the Levant. Here we aim at studying the translocation of cattle and pigs during this period. We sequenced the first ancient mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA of cattle from Greece and Israel and compared the results with morphometric analysis of the metacarpal in cattle. We also increased previous ancient pig DNA datasets from Israel and extracted the first mitochondrial DNA for samples from Greece. We found that pigs underwent a complex translocation history, with links between Anatolia with southeastern Europe in the Bronze Age, and movement from southeastern Europe to the Levant in the Iron I (ca. 1150–950 BCE). Our genetic data did not indicate movement of cattle between the Aegean region and the southern Levant. We detected the earliest evidence for crossbreeding between taurine and zebu cattle in the Iron IIA (ca. 900 BCE). In light of archaeological and historical evidence on Egyptian imperial domination in the region in the Late Bronze Age, we suggest that Egypt attempted to expand dry farming in the region in a period of severe droughts.

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Authors
Meiri, M., Stockhammer, P. W., Marom, N., Bar-Oz, G., Sapir-Hen, L., Morgenstern, P., Macheridis, S., Rosen, B., Huchon, D., Maran, J., & Finkelstein, I.
Affiliations
  • Tel Aviv University (IL)
  • Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
  • University of Haifa (IL)
  • Heidelberg University (DE)
  • Lund University (SE)
  • Israel Antiquities Authority (IL)
Corresponding author
Meiri, Meirav
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2017-04-06
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
701-701
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41598-017-00701-y
PMC
PMC5429671
OpenAlex
W2603607301
Cited by
51
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1
FWCI
3.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Open access LMU (Ludwid Maxmilian's Universitat Munchen) (submittedVersion)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Georgia Department of Transportation
  • Tel Aviv University
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Forensic and Genetic Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
Keywords
Late Bronze Age, Iron Age, cattle, pigs, animal migration, ancient DNA, mitochondrial DNA, Y chromosome, Levant, Aegean Sea, Anatolia, Egypt, rainfed agriculture, drought, animal husbandry, Eastern Mediterranean
MeSH terms
DNA, Ancient, Animals, Archaeology, Cattle, DNA, Mitochondrial, Gene Frequency, Geography, Haplotypes, Phylogeny, History, 15th Century, History, 16th Century, History, Medieval, Human Migration

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