Early Neolithic pastoral land use at Alsnyk-Btaszk, Hungary (Star?evo culture): New insights from stable isotope ratios

The earliest introduction of livestock (cattle, goats, sheep, pigs) into the Carpathian Basin was an important step towards farming expansion into continental Europe. This spread beyond the environments of the southern Balkans was accompanied by a reduction in the spectrum of cultivated crops, changes in the relative representation of different domestic animals, and, most likely, adaptations of husbandry practices. How the earliest farmers in the Carpathian Basin kept their domestic stock is still understudied. We explored early animal management and land use strategies at the Star & ccaron;evo settlement at Alsonyek-Bataszek, Hungary (Early Neolithic, ca. 5800-5600 cal BC). Settled at the intersection of wide alluvial plains, waterlogged meadows and marshes to the east, and forested hills to the west, early farmers at Alsonyek had a wide variety of options for nourishing their livestock. We performed stable isotope ratio analysis of bone collagen (n = 99; delta 13C, delta 15N) and tooth enamel (nteeth = 28, sequentially sampled for delta 13C and delta 18O) from wild and domestic animals to locate them in the landscape and investigate herding practices on a seasonal scale. The bone collagen isotope ratios mostly indicate feeding in open environments. However, results from the sequential analysis of cattle and sheep enamel suggest diverse dietary strategies for winters, including consumption of forest resources, consumption of summer hay and grazing in an open environment. Most pigs appear to have had herbivorous diets, but several individuals likely supplemented their diet with animal protein. Stable isotope ratio results from the Lengyel phase at Alsonyek (ca. 4800-4300 cal BC) suggest more access to animal protein for pigs, and feeding in more open areas by wild boar, red deer and cattle compared to the Star & ccaron;evo phase. This study's results demonstrate considerable variability in early animal husbandry practices at Alsonyek.