A biomolecular perspective on mobile pastoralism and its role in wider socioeconomic connections in the Chalcolithic South Caucasus

Antonosyan, Mariya, Maurer, Gwendoline ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5682-3661, Mkrtchyan, Satenik, Boxleitner, Kseniia, Saribekyan, Mariam, Hovhannisyan, Anahit, Furquim, Laura, Stokes, Freg, Davtyan, Ruben, Bobokhyan, Arsen, Azatyan, Karen, Ilgner, Jana, Reinhold, Sabine, Frahm, Ellery, Spengler, Robert, Roberts, Patrick, Amano, Noel and Yepiskoposyan, Levon 2025. A biomolecular perspective on mobile pastoralism and its role in wider socioeconomic connections in the Chalcolithic South Caucasus. iScience 28 (6) , 112544. 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112544

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Abstract

Mobile pastoralism is widely evoked when discussing technological developments, resource procurement, trans-regional interactions, and exchange networks in the South Caucasus. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive multiproxy investigation of faunal and botanical remains from the Middle to Late Chalcolithic in southern Armenia, at the high altitude Yeghegis-1 site, to directly assess herd mobility and human subsistence practices. Our findings indicate that, alongside intensified interregional connectivity, the inhabitants practiced a rather sedentary form of multi-resource pastoralism, while maintaining herds at the site year-round. These results complement and expand upon models of pastoral mobility and its perceived crucial role in sustaining inter- and intraregional connectivity. We argue that alternative models of increased intra-regional connectivity, focused on exchange between different specialized settled economies, need to be considered and further research is essential to unravel the complex interplay between subsistence, trade, and socio-economic dynamics.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > History, Archaeology and Religion
Publisher:	Cell Press
ISSN:	2589-0042
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	22 May 2025
Date of Acceptance:	24 April 2025
Last Modified:	07 Sep 2026 21:49
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/178320

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