Zooarchaeology of Saharan pastoralism: a biomolecular approach

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• Dr Martina Di Matteo, The Archaeological Mission in the Sahara, Sapienza University of Rome
• Tuesday 18 March 2025, 13:00-14:00
• Garrod Seminar Room, MacDonald Institute for Archaeological Research.

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Pastoralism, characterised by animal husbandry and mobility, is a diverse phenomenon shaped by varying social, political, and environmental conditions. In Africa, pastoralism has deep historical roots, originating in the Middle Holocene (circa 8300 cal BP).

The introduction of domesticated animals from the Near East to the continent is well established, though the mechanisms of this process, particularly for sheep and goat, remain unclear. Recent studies underscore the complexity of this transition, suggesting that each species require distinct historical narratives.

The Central Sahara offers one of the earliest evidence of domestic animals in North Africa, and in the continent in generale, making it a pivotal region to investigate these dynamics.

Despite its significance, the study of pastoral phases in the Central Sahara is hampered by a highly fragmented zooarchaeological record, which rarely permits taxonomic determinations, leaving gaps in our understanding of species exploited in the past. Recent developments in the study of collagen peptides, a proteomic application named “Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry” (ZooMS), offer new research perspectives on animal management strategies through the identification of morphologically ambiguous or unidentifiable bone fragments.

The high-resolution analysis of the faunal record from several archaeological contexts in southwestern Libya dated between Middle and Late Holocene (8300-3400 cal BP), using Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) — the first application of this method in the Sahara — demonstrate the potential of this method to enhance our knowledge of pastoralism in North Africa, shedding light on the intricate processes underlying the region’s socio-economic transformations.

This talk is part of the African Archaeology Group Seminar Series series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• African Archaeology Group Seminar Series
• Garrod Seminar Room, MacDonald Institute for Archaeological Research

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