Insight Into Domestication and Changes in Communities

The domestication of animals has long been established as a critical predictor of human social and economic complexity. Among domesticated animals, the domestication of certain livestock have held an especially significant role in the human development, since livestock management is one critical pathway for establishing food security. Yet the origins of domestication and the broader roles livestock played in shaping human social organization remain poorly understood. This project investigates how livestock domestication shaped key historical shifts in food production and economic organization. In doing so, the project advances understanding of the origins of agriculture and the development of early social structures. The results have use-inspired translational value for public safety and security by modeling a range of outcomes where food security can be established through livestock management. The project involves the use of innovative biotechnological methods, while training students and engaging the public in techniques such as microfossil analysis, dental calculus analysis, and the integration of stable isotope data. The project focuses on two central questions: (1) How did livestock domestication occur in early farming societies? and (2) What role did livestock management play in the emergence of social complexities and early states? The project draws on regional archaeological sites with some of the world’s earliest evidence for livestock domestication and state formation. It analyzes remains spanning 9,000 to 3,500 years ago. Using microfossil analysis of dental calculus and tooth measurements, the research team reconstructs diets, domestication status, and management strategies. By compiling data from nine sites, the study traces how domestication took place, whether production became centralized under emerging political authorities, and whether management contributed to the development of new forms of complexity. This integrative approach offers new insights into social, economic, and ecological dimensions during key periods of societal change. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.