Community negotiation and pasture partitioning at the Trypillia settlement of Maidanetske
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Date
2022
Authors
Makarewicz, Cheryl
Hofmann, Robert
Videiko, Mykhailo
Müller, Johannes
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Abstract
The inhabitants of the vast Chalcolithic Trypillia sites of Eastern Europe required highly organised strategies
to meet subsistence needs. Here, the authors use isotopic analyses of faunal remains from Maidanetske,
Ukraine, to identify intensive and extensive grazing practices. The former demanded intra-community
negotiation to ensure access to high-quality pastures for valuable animals such as dairy cows, suggesting
that pasture may have also served socially integrative functions. The simultaneous use of extensive pasturing
strategies for cattle placed on different pastureland suggests that landscapes were partitioned, with access
determined by cooperation or competition. Maidanetske’s dual pasturing system reflects the importance
of spatially organised practices in maintaining social structure.
Description
Keywords
Ukraine, Chalcolithic, Trypillia mega-site, isotope analysis, farming, pasturing, social organisation, article
Citation
Community negotiation and pasture partitioning at the Trypillia settlement of Maidanetske / Cheryl A. Makarewicz, Robert Hofmann, Mykhailo Y. Videiko, Johannes Müller // Antiquity. - 2022. - Vol. 96, Issue 388. - P. 831-847. - https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2022.32