WAC 8, Kyoto 2016, Births, mothers and babies by Sofija Stefanovic
Although births, mothers and babies present key pillars for human survival, their role has not be... more Although births, mothers and babies present key pillars for human survival, their role has not been adequately studied, either by physical anthropology or archaeology. The attitudes of past communities towards pregnancy, birth and neonatal care must have played a key role in the success of the birthing process, but these have also not been satisfactorily addressed in archaeological writing. The aim of this session is to provide an overview of bioarchaeological research into the place of births, mothers and babies in ancient populations across time and space. Contributions will use multidisciplinary approaches and improved methodologies to address the roles and circumstances of birthing in human evolution. New methods for studying pregnancy, breastfeeding-weaning and social status of women and children, eg., through studies of nutrition, health, and growth, will be showcased.
Papers by Sofija Stefanovic
Bulletins et mémoires de la Société d’anthropologie de Paris (BMSAP) 31, 2019
The current world population of approximately seven billion people shows that despite the complex... more The current world population of approximately seven billion people shows that despite the complexities of human birthing, the human species is thriving. Changes in human pelvic morphology resulting from bipedalism and encephalisation, often described as the “obstetric dilemma”, have made the birthing process extremely difficult and risky for both mothers and neonates. The major Mesolithic- Neolithic shift in lifestyle could have had important obstetric consequences. It is often hypothesised that the shift to an agricultural diet, with a lower protein content and higher glycaemic loading than the hunter-gatherer diet, could have led to a decrease in maternal height and an increase in neonatal birth weight, brain size and foetal-pelvic strain, which may have exacerbated the obstetric dilemma. The Mesolithic-Neolithic osteological collection from the Danube Gorges (7400-5500 cal BC, Balkans) provides material (2 pelvises and a neonate skull) to test this hypothesis by virtually reconstructing the fossil dyads and their foetal-pelvic relationship.We compared these dyads with a large obstetrical sample of mother-child dyads with a known birthing history, conducting a lineardiscriminant analysis in order to predict the most probable delivery outcomes for the prehistoric dyads. The results suggest that delivery was dystocic for the Mesolithic motherchild dyad and eutocic for the Neolithic mother-child dyad; obstetrically, the former is notably more efficient. However, due to the small sample size, further research is required with a larger series in order to determine whether the development of obstetrically efficient pelvic bones in the Neolithic was widespread and whether it had an impact on the birthing process and thus potentially contributed to the increasing size of the population.
The Neolithic Demographic Transition in the Central Balkans: population dynamics reconstruction based on new radiocarbon evidence
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2021
In this paper, we test the hypothesis of the Neolithic Demographic
Transition in the Central Balk... more In this paper, we test the hypothesis of the Neolithic Demographic
Transition in the Central Balkan Early Neolithic (6250–5300 BC) by applying the method of summed calibrated probability distributions to the set of more than 200 new radiocarbon dates from Serbia. The results suggest that there was an increase in population size after the first farmers arrived to the study area around 6250 BC. This increase lasted for approximately 250 years and was followed by a decrease in the population size proxy after 6000 BC, reaching its minimum around 5800 BC. This was followed by another episode of growth until 5600 BC when population size proxy rapidly declined, reaching the minimum again around 5500 BC. The reconstructed intrinsic growth rate value indicates that the first episode of growth might have been fuelled both by high fertility and migrations, potentially related to the effects of the 8.2 ky event. The second episode of population growth after 5800 BC was probably owing to the high fertility alone. It remains unclear what caused the episodes of population decrease.
Making Spaces into Places. The North Aegean, the Balkans and Western Anatolia in the Neolithic, 2020
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2020
We used the tooth cementum annulation method (TCA) to investigate physiological stress before and... more We used the tooth cementum annulation method (TCA) to investigate physiological stress before and during the Neolithic demographic transition in Europe. Episodes of physiological stress are reflected as "stress layers" in the tooth cementum at an almost annual resolution. We used the TCA method to detect and count the number of the stress events for a sample of 21 Mesolithic and 25 Neolithic individuals from the Central Balkans from the period between 9500 and 5400 years BC. In accord with the theory of the Neolithic demographic transition, we hypothesize that the Neolithic individuals will have more stress than the Mesolithic individuals. Our results suggest that the Neolithic females had significantly more stress layers in the tooth cementum per year of life than the Mesolithic females. The difference between Mesolithic and Neolithic males was not statistically significant. We conclude that Neolithic women had more physiological stress episodes than Mesolithic women. The differential pattern between sexes, combined with the fact that pregnancies are one of the major causes of stress layer formation in tooth cementum, might indicate that the observed differences are mostly due to increased fertility in the Neolithic.
PLOS ONE, Aug 20, 2020
The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is provid... more The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is providing valuable new information on the prehistory of the region. This is especially relevant for the study of the neolithisation process in SE Europe, which gradually affected the rest of the continent. Here, to answer questions regarding diet and subsistence practices in early farming societies in the central Balkans, we combine organic residue analyses of archaeological pottery, taxonomic and isotopic study of domestic animal remains and biomolecular analyses of human dental calculus. The results from the analyses of the lipid residues from pottery suggest that milk was processed in ceramic vessels. Dairy products were shown to be part of the subsistence strategies of the earliest Neolithic communities in the region but were of varying importance in different areas of the Balkan. Conversely, milk proteins were not detected within the dental calculus. The molecular and isotopic identification of meat, dairy, plants and beeswax in the pottery lipids also provided insights into the diversity of diet in these early Neolithic communities, mainly based on terrestrial resources. We also present the first compound-specific radiocarbon dates for the region, obtained directly from absorbed organic residues extracted from pottery, identified as dairy lipids.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
The new set of radiocarbon dates was used to explore the timing and tempo of the Neolithic expans... more The new set of radiocarbon dates was used to explore the timing and tempo of the Neolithic expansion across the Central Balkans. Our results suggest that the first farmers arrived in this region around or few decades before 6200 cal BC. The observed spatio-temporal pattern based on the radiocarbon data suggests that the general direction of the expansion was along the south-north axis. The regression analysis (arrival time vs. distance from the origin of expansion in northern Greece) was used to estimate the Neolithic front speed. The results of this analysis suggest that there is a moderate fit of the linear model. Most of the front speed estimates based on the Central Balkan data are between 1 and 2.5 km/year (depending on the data subset and the statistical technique) which is mostly above the expected range (around 1 km/year) for the standard wave of advance model and the empirically determined continental averages. We conclude that the spatio-temporal pattern of the Neolithic expansion in the Central Balkans is broadly consistent with the predictions of the wave of advance model, with the possibility of sporadic leapfrog migration events. The speed of the expansion seems to have been faster in the Central Balkans compared to the continental average.
Documenta Praehistorica 46, 2019
The Neolithic way of life was accompanied by an increase in various forms of physiological stress... more The Neolithic way of life was accompanied by an increase in various forms of physiological stress (e.g. disease, malnutrition). Here we use the method of tooth cementum annulation (TCA) analysis in order to detect physiological stress that is probably related to calcium metabolism. The TCA method is applied to a sample of teeth from three Mesolithic and five Neolithic individuals from the Central Balkans. The average number of physiological stress episodes is higher in the Neolithic group – but the statistical significance of this result cannot be evaluated due to the small sample size, therefore these results should be taken as preliminary.
PLOS ONE, 2020
The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is provid... more The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is providing valuable new information on the prehistory of the region. This is especially relevant for the study of the neolithisation process in SE Europe, which gradually affected the rest of the continent. Here, to answer questions regarding diet and subsistence practices in early farming societies in the central Balkans, we combine organic residue analyses of archaeological pottery, taxonomic and isotopic study of domestic animal remains and biomolecular analyses of human dental calculus. The results from the analyses of the lipid residues from pottery suggest that milk was processed in ceramic vessels. Dairy products were shown to be part of the subsistence strategies of the earliest Neolithic communities in the region but were of varying importance in different areas of the Balkan. Conversely, milk proteins were not detected within the dental calculus. The molecular and isotopic identification of meat, dairy, plants and beeswax in the pottery lipids also provided insights into the diversity of diet in these early Neolithic communities, mainly based on terrestrial resources. We also present the first compound-specific radiocarbon dates for the region, obtained directly from absorbed organic residues extracted from pottery, identified as dairy lipids.
PLOS ONE, Dec 19, 2019
Around 8000 years ago, throughout the Neolithic world a new type of artefact appeared, small spoo... more Around 8000 years ago, throughout the Neolithic world a new type of artefact appeared, small spoons masterly made from cattle bone, usually interpreted as tools, due to their intensive traces of use. Contrary to those interpretations, the small dimensions of spoons and presence of intensive traces of use led us to the assumption that they were used for feeding babies. In order to test that assumption we compared 2230 marks on three spoons from the Neolithic site of Grad-Starčevo in Serbia (5800−5450 cal BC) with 3151 primary teeth marks produced experimentally. This study has shown that some of the marks on spoons were made by primary teeth, which indicate their usage in feeding babies. The production of a new type of artefact to feed babies is probably related to the appearance of a new type of weaning food, and the abundance of spoons indicates that new baby gruels became an important innovation in prehistoric baby-care.
Journal of Archaeological Science: reports, 2019
The research of human induced tooth marks on bone surface represents a promising field of investi... more The research of human induced tooth marks on bone surface represents a promising field of investigation of high interest for archaeologists. The aim of this study was to address the issue of equifinality of tooth marks recognition and analysis using experimental setup involving permanent teeth. Five volunteers mouthed and chewed fresh metatarsal bovine bone. A total of > 2000 marks were recorded and the type, geometry and metrics reported. Differences between tooth type and intensity level employed for marks formation were also described. The obtained data may support the identification and recognition of human tooth marks in the archaeological context.
Primary Teeth Bite Marks Analysis on Various Materials: A Possible Tool in Children Health Risk Analysis and Safety Assessment, 2019
Background: All objects put into a child's mouth could be hazardous in terms of trauma and toxic ... more Background: All objects put into a child's mouth could be hazardous in terms of trauma and toxic substance exposure. The aims of this study were to evaluate morphological characteristics of the primary teeth bite marks inflicted on various materials and to assess material wear using experimental model. Methods: Bite marks were analyzed on five materials: rubber, plastic, foil, wood, and silicone. In order to mimic children mouthing behavior an experimental setup has been designed using primary teeth placed in dentures and children's equipment specimens. Results: Deciduous teeth make visible and recognizable traces when using physiological forces on all investigated materials. The most significant material loss was revealed in silicone samples, but it has been observed in all material groups, while mouthing with incisors using higher mastication forces were identified as significant predictors for material wear. There were no significant differences between type, species, and morphological-morphometric characteristics of the bite marks which are made by incisors, canines, and molars. Conclusions: In the range of physiological bite forces, deciduous teeth lead to wear of material from which toys are made while the analysis of bite marks in children equipment could give some information regarding the risk of trauma and exposure.
Zbornik radova sa medjunarodnog naučnog skupa “1700 godina Milanskog edikta”, 2013
Nakon što su centralnobalkanske oblasti postale deo Rimskog
carstva, van urbanih središta počeo j... more Nakon što su centralnobalkanske oblasti postale deo Rimskog
carstva, van urbanih središta počeo je da se razvija nov tip ruralnog naselja (villa rustica). Iako antički izvori svedoče da život za one koji su radili na imanjima nije bio lak, arheološki ostaci ne pružaju dovoljno informacija za rekonstrukciju inteziteta aktivnosti. Međutim, metodama fizičke antropologije, kroz analizu tragova pripoja mišića na skeletima sa antičke nekropole Gladno polje u Remesijani bilo je moguće utvrditi intenzitet aktivnosti i na taj način testirati tvrdnje antičkih pisaca. U ovom istraživanju analizirani su tragovi mišićno-skeletnih markera stresa na 28 skeleta i analiza je pokazala da su pojedini muškarci i žene obavljali izrazito teške fizičke poslove. Intenzitet tragova mišićnih pripoja, destruktivne lezije i deformacije kostiju u delu remesijanske populacije potvrđuju pisanje antičkih autora o veoma teškom životu na poljoprivrednim dobrima
Arhaika, 2017
Pripitomljavanje životinja i biljaka, i promene koje su time usledile, imaju ključno mesto u arhe... more Pripitomljavanje životinja i biljaka, i promene koje su time usledile, imaju ključno mesto u arheološkim narativima o procesima neolitizacije. Budući da se neolitske zajednice po pravilu percipiraju kao " stočarsko-zemljoradničke " , aktivnosti koje su uključivale lov na divlje životinje u ovim kontekstima često su interpretirane kao sporadične, usputne i sezonske, pa čak i kao anomalije. U ovom radu, ukazujemo da su ljudske strategije opstanka i interakcije sa životinjama u kontekstu ranog neolita Vojvodine i centralnog Balkana bile mnogo raznovrsnije i (mikro) regionalno i kulturno specifične. U žiži rada je nalazište Golokut-Vizić, koje se izdvaja u odnosu na druga starčevačka naselja kako po svom specifičnom položaju u okviru šumovitog i brdovitog pejzaža Fruške gore, tako i po visokom udelu ostataka divljih životinja u faunističkom uzorku. Inkorporirajući prethodno publikovane i nove rezultate arheozooloških analiza (na prvom mestu taksonomski sastav faune i studije sezonalnosti), rezultate analiza stabilnih izotopa i arheološke podatke o obrascima naseljavanja (studije arhitektonskih objekata i artefakata), razmatramo ekološki, ekonomski i društveni kontekst eksploatacije životinja na Golokutu, i problematizujemo dihotomiju
lov:stočarstvo u kontekstu ranog neolita na teritoriji Vojvodine i centralnog Balkana.
In this paper, we analyze Early Neolithic (6200–5300 calBC) Starče-vo culture anthropomorphic cla... more In this paper, we analyze Early Neolithic (6200–5300 calBC) Starče-vo culture anthropomorphic clay figurines from the Central and Northern Bal-kan. Our aim is to explore whether figurines were used to represent pregnancy and fertility. We recorded bodily attributes related to pregnancy and birth of the 159 Starčevo culture figurines such the presence of pronounced belly, as well as the presence of primary and secondary sexual characteristics. The results of our analysis show that pregnancy was not unambiguously represented in the Early Neolithic Starčevo figurines, therefore hypotheses about connections between the making of figurines and fertility have no apparent empirical basis.
Last hunters–first farmers: new insight into subsistence strategies in the Central Balkans through multi-isotopic analysis. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.
This paper presents new results of stable isotope analysis made on human and animal bones from Me... more This paper presents new results of stable isotope analysis made on human and animal bones from Mesolithic–Neolithic sites (9500–5200 cal BC) in the Central Balkans. It reconstructs dietary practices in the Mesolithic and documents the development of new subsistence strategies and regional differences during the process of Neolithisation. We achieved these insights into dietary changes by analysing bone collagen δ13C (n = 75), δ15N (n = 75) and δ34S (n = 96) and comparing stable isotope data of Mesolithic–Neolithic communities from the Danube Gorges with the data of the first farmers who lived outside of the Gorges in the Central Balkans. The Bayesian model was employed to evaluate the relative importance of different animal proteins in human diet. Results bring a new overview and highlight important chronological and regional differences. They suggest that Late Mesolithic humans included more anadromous and potamodromous fish in their diet, which is consistent with archaeozoological evidence. On the other hand, differing from archaeozoological data, the model also points to a greater reliance on terrestrial carnivores (dogs) in the Late Mesolithic diet, a pattern that can be also explained by other dietary and environmental factors. In the Transitional and Neolithic period in the Gorges, some individuals have consumed fewer aquatic resources and favoured more terrestrial products. However, one site in the Gorges represents an exception—Ajmana, where we have the earliest farmers in this region since their subsistence economy was mainly oriented toward terrestrial products. Furthermore, results shows that Neolithic individuals inhumated at sites outside of the Danube Gorges in the Balkans had dietary patterns that vary in both terrestrial and freshwater resources, indicating that early farming communities had a diversified diet linked to a local natural environment. Comparative data finally indicates regional differentiations associated with locally available resources but also related to the traditions of prehistoric communities and to specific economic innovations.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2019
This paper presents new results of stable isotope analysis made on human and animal bones from Me... more This paper presents new results of stable isotope analysis made on human and animal bones from Mesolithic–Neolithic sites (9500–5200 cal BC) in the Central Balkans. It reconstructs dietary practices in
the Mesolithic and documents the development of new subsistence strategies and regional differences during the process of Neolithisation.We achieved these insights into dietary changes by analysing bone collagen δ13C (n = 75), δ15N (n = 75) and δ34S (n = 96) and comparing stable isotope data of Mesolithic–Neolithic communities from the Danube Gorges with the data of the first farmers who lived outside of the Gorges in the Central Balkans. The Bayesian model was employed to evaluate the relative importance of different animal proteins in human diet. Results bring a new overview and highlight important chronological and regional differences. They suggest that Late Mesolithic humans included more anadromous and potamodromous fish in their diet, which is consistent with archaeozoological evidence. On the other hand, differing from archaeozoological data, the model also points to a greater reliance on terrestrial carnivores (dogs) in the Late Mesolithic diet, a pattern that can be also explained by other dietary and environmental factors. In the Transitional and Neolithic period in the Gorges, some individuals have consumed fewer aquatic resources and favoured more terrestrial products. However, one site in the Gorges represents an exception—Ajmana, where we have the earliest farmers in this region since their subsistence economy wasmainly oriented toward terrestrial products. Furthermore, results shows that Neolithic
individuals inhumated at sites outside of the Danube Gorges in the Balkans had dietary patterns that vary in both terrestrial and freshwater resources, indicating that early farming communities had a diversified diet linked to a local natural environment. Comparative data finally indicates regional differentiations associated with locally available resources but also related to the traditions of prehistoric communities and to specific economic innovations.
In this study, we reconstruct population dynamics in the Early Neolithic of the Eastern Balkans a... more In this study, we reconstruct population dynamics in the Early Neolithic of the Eastern Balkans and the Great Hungarian Plain using frequency of radiocarbon dates as a population proxy. The method of summed calibrated radiocarbon probability distributions is applied to a set of dates recently published in Bulgaria and Hungary. The aim is to test the hypothesis of the Neolithic demographic transition (NDT) in these regions and to compare the patterns between these two and neighbouring regions. The results show that episodes of population growth occurred in both regions, which is in partial agreement with the predictions of the NDT theory. Population growth is detected, but it is followed by a bust, rather than stabilisation as predicted for the second phase of the NDT.
From Hunter-Gatherers to Farmers: Human Adaptations at the End of the Pleistocene and the First Part of the Holocene, 2017
The paper presents the results of the analysis of faunal (mammal, fish and mollusc) remains from ... more The paper presents the results of the analysis of faunal (mammal, fish and mollusc) remains from Kula, a Mesolithic-Neolithic site at the exit of the Danube Gorges in Serbia. Although the analysed sample represents only an arbitrarily saved portion of the original assemblage and is therefore biased, it offers important new insights into the variability in subsistence strategies, as well as into the use of animal bone, teeth, antler and shell in bodily decoration and artefact production. A small assemblage of mammal and fish remains includes species previously known from other sites within the Danube Gorges, with the dog as the sole domestic animal. Additional food supply of river clams and land snails is suggested on the basis of specific shell breakage patterns. Osseous artefacts and ornaments found in the assemblage are described, including those found in burial contexts.
Documenta Praehistorica, Dec 2016
In this paper, we investigate whether the Mesolithic-Neolithic sites in the Danube Gorges
were oc... more In this paper, we investigate whether the Mesolithic-Neolithic sites in the Danube Gorges
were occupied seasonally or all year round by looking at animal skeletal remains. The hunting seasons of most important game animals have been determined on the basis of antler and teeth growth, supplemented by looking into the presence of migratory fish and birds. The patterns of food resource exploitation seem to indicate year-round occupation of the settlements, and suggest that a significant degree of sedentism existed in the Danube Gorges prior to, and independently of, the adoption of animal and plant husbandry.
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WAC 8, Kyoto 2016, Births, mothers and babies by Sofija Stefanovic
Papers by Sofija Stefanovic
Transition in the Central Balkan Early Neolithic (6250–5300 BC) by applying the method of summed calibrated probability distributions to the set of more than 200 new radiocarbon dates from Serbia. The results suggest that there was an increase in population size after the first farmers arrived to the study area around 6250 BC. This increase lasted for approximately 250 years and was followed by a decrease in the population size proxy after 6000 BC, reaching its minimum around 5800 BC. This was followed by another episode of growth until 5600 BC when population size proxy rapidly declined, reaching the minimum again around 5500 BC. The reconstructed intrinsic growth rate value indicates that the first episode of growth might have been fuelled both by high fertility and migrations, potentially related to the effects of the 8.2 ky event. The second episode of population growth after 5800 BC was probably owing to the high fertility alone. It remains unclear what caused the episodes of population decrease.
carstva, van urbanih središta počeo je da se razvija nov tip ruralnog naselja (villa rustica). Iako antički izvori svedoče da život za one koji su radili na imanjima nije bio lak, arheološki ostaci ne pružaju dovoljno informacija za rekonstrukciju inteziteta aktivnosti. Međutim, metodama fizičke antropologije, kroz analizu tragova pripoja mišića na skeletima sa antičke nekropole Gladno polje u Remesijani bilo je moguće utvrditi intenzitet aktivnosti i na taj način testirati tvrdnje antičkih pisaca. U ovom istraživanju analizirani su tragovi mišićno-skeletnih markera stresa na 28 skeleta i analiza je pokazala da su pojedini muškarci i žene obavljali izrazito teške fizičke poslove. Intenzitet tragova mišićnih pripoja, destruktivne lezije i deformacije kostiju u delu remesijanske populacije potvrđuju pisanje antičkih autora o veoma teškom životu na poljoprivrednim dobrima
lov:stočarstvo u kontekstu ranog neolita na teritoriji Vojvodine i centralnog Balkana.
the Mesolithic and documents the development of new subsistence strategies and regional differences during the process of Neolithisation.We achieved these insights into dietary changes by analysing bone collagen δ13C (n = 75), δ15N (n = 75) and δ34S (n = 96) and comparing stable isotope data of Mesolithic–Neolithic communities from the Danube Gorges with the data of the first farmers who lived outside of the Gorges in the Central Balkans. The Bayesian model was employed to evaluate the relative importance of different animal proteins in human diet. Results bring a new overview and highlight important chronological and regional differences. They suggest that Late Mesolithic humans included more anadromous and potamodromous fish in their diet, which is consistent with archaeozoological evidence. On the other hand, differing from archaeozoological data, the model also points to a greater reliance on terrestrial carnivores (dogs) in the Late Mesolithic diet, a pattern that can be also explained by other dietary and environmental factors. In the Transitional and Neolithic period in the Gorges, some individuals have consumed fewer aquatic resources and favoured more terrestrial products. However, one site in the Gorges represents an exception—Ajmana, where we have the earliest farmers in this region since their subsistence economy wasmainly oriented toward terrestrial products. Furthermore, results shows that Neolithic
individuals inhumated at sites outside of the Danube Gorges in the Balkans had dietary patterns that vary in both terrestrial and freshwater resources, indicating that early farming communities had a diversified diet linked to a local natural environment. Comparative data finally indicates regional differentiations associated with locally available resources but also related to the traditions of prehistoric communities and to specific economic innovations.
were occupied seasonally or all year round by looking at animal skeletal remains. The hunting seasons of most important game animals have been determined on the basis of antler and teeth growth, supplemented by looking into the presence of migratory fish and birds. The patterns of food resource exploitation seem to indicate year-round occupation of the settlements, and suggest that a significant degree of sedentism existed in the Danube Gorges prior to, and independently of, the adoption of animal and plant husbandry.