ABSTRACT
Pastoralism is one of the most important and deeply rooted socioeconomic structures in the semiarid regions of Eurasia including Southwest Asia. This chapter examines the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of sequentially sequenced dentin collagens from domestic sheep and goats (caprines) recovered from Kosk Hoyuk, an Early and Middle Chalcolithic settlement located in central Turkey, in order to explore the nature of husbandry practices employed at this settlement and the degree to which the caprine diet was directly or indirectly managed. It examines intratooth nitrogen isotopic variation in order to demonstrate human control of animal age at weaning and the role of this practice in defining Chalcolithic dairy production systems. Taking advantage of the seasonally and spatially defined distribution of carbon and nitrogen isotopes at the floral base of semiarid region foodwebs, the chapter also documents seasonal supplementation of the caprine diet by herders with fodder and winter pasturage.
