Abstract
The Kura-Araxes (KA) cultural phenomenon (dated to the Early Bronze Age, c. 3600-2300 BCE) is primarily characterized by the emergence of a homogeneous pottery style and material culture in settlements across the South Caucasus, as well as territories extending to the Ancient Near East. It has been argued that KA societies practiced pastoralism, despite lack of direct examination of dietary and culinary practices in this region. Here, we report analyses of absorbed lipid residues from KA pottery, to determine the organic products produced, consumed and to reconstruct subsistence practices. Our results provide compelling evidence for a diversified diet and cuisine across settlements, comprising plant processing, dairying, and pottery use; these findings question the nature and fabric of the prescribed EBA homogenous communities. The findings reveal striking evidence in re-examining whether the KA, in fact, represents a homogenous culture in the Caucasus and Ancient Near East, providing wider implications for prehistoric research.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e0278345 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | PLoS ONE |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 21 Dec 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022 Manoukian et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.