Carbon Isotope Ratios of Plant n-Alkanes and Microstratigraphy Analyses of Dung Accumulations in a Pastoral Nomadic Winter Campsite (Eastern Mongolia)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Livestock fecal remains provide an important source of information on past animal husbandry systems and dung use. A combined micromorphological and biomolecular investigation of dung deposits brings new perspectives into past landscape land use and animal husbandry strategies by providing seasonal-scale information on livestock dietary intake as well as intensity of dung deposition in penning spaces. We conducted microstratigraphic analyses and compound-specific carbon stable isotope analysis of plant n-alkanes of dung deposits associated with pastoral nomadic winter campsites in Mongolia, in order to explore the floral origin of graze ingested by livestock and evaluate its potential biomolecular signatures. Preliminary results show that δ13C values of plant n-alkanes were unusually depleted when compared to carbon isotope values of plant n-alkanes in soil control samples recovered from landscapes with minimal anthropic activity. We highlight the importance of multi-proxy ethnoarcheological studies in identifying biomarkers that convey information on pastoralist animal exploitation practices.