Evidence for early dispersal of domestic sheep into Central Asia

William T. T. Taylor (), Mélanie Pruvost, Cosimo Posth, William Rendu, Maciej T. Krajcarz, Aida Abdykanova, Greta Brancaleoni, Robert Spengler, Taylor Hermes, Stéphanie Schiavinato, Gregory Hodgins, Raphaela Stahl, Jina Min, Saltanat Alisher Kyzy, Stanisław Fedorowicz, Ludovic Orlando, Katerina Douka, Andrey Krivoshapkin, Choongwon Jeong, Christina Warinner and Svetlana Shnaider ()
Additional contact information
William T. T. Taylor: University of Colorado-Boulder
Mélanie Pruvost: Université de Bordeaux
Cosimo Posth: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
William Rendu: Université de Bordeaux
Maciej T. Krajcarz: Polish Academy of Sciences
Aida Abdykanova: American University of Central Asia
Greta Brancaleoni: Polish Academy of Sciences
Robert Spengler: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Taylor Hermes: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Stéphanie Schiavinato: Université Paul Sabatier
Gregory Hodgins: University of Arizona
Raphaela Stahl: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Jina Min: Seoul National University
Saltanat Alisher Kyzy: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS
Stanisław Fedorowicz: University of Gdańsk
Ludovic Orlando: American University of Central Asia
Katerina Douka: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Andrey Krivoshapkin: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS
Choongwon Jeong: Seoul National University
Christina Warinner: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Svetlana Shnaider: Institute of Archaeology SB RAS

Nature Human Behaviour, 2021, vol. 5, issue 9, 1169-1179

Abstract: Abstract The development and dispersal of agropastoralism transformed the cultural and ecological landscapes of the Old World, but little is known about when or how this process first impacted Central Asia. Here, we present archaeological and biomolecular evidence from Obishir V in southern Kyrgyzstan, establishing the presence of domesticated sheep by ca. 6,000 BCE. Zooarchaeological and collagen peptide mass fingerprinting show exploitation of Ovis and Capra, while cementum analysis of intact teeth implicates possible pastoral slaughter during the fall season. Most significantly, ancient DNA reveals these directly dated specimens as the domestic O. aries, within the genetic diversity of domesticated sheep lineages. Together, these results provide the earliest evidence for the use of livestock in the mountains of the Ferghana Valley, predating previous evidence by 3,000 years and suggesting that domestic animal economies reached the mountains of interior Central Asia far earlier than previously recognized.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01083-y

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