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SUMMARY:Zooarchaeology of Saharan pastoralism: a biomolecular approach - D
 r Martina Di Matteo\, The Archaeological Mission in the Sahara\, Sapienza 
 University of Rome
DTSTART:20250318T130000Z
DTEND:20250318T140000Z
UID:TALK226765@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:115768
DESCRIPTION:Pastoralism\, characterised by animal husbandry and mobility\,
  is a diverse phenomenon shaped by varying social\, political\, and enviro
 nmental conditions. In Africa\, pastoralism has deep historical roots\, or
 iginating in the Middle Holocene (circa 8300 cal BP).\n \nThe introduction
  of domesticated animals from the Near East to the continent is well estab
 lished\, though the mechanisms of this process\, particularly for sheep an
 d goat\, remain unclear. Recent studies underscore the complexity of this 
 transition\, suggesting that each species require distinct historical narr
 atives. \n\nThe Central Sahara offers one of the earliest evidence of dome
 stic animals in North Africa\, and in the continent in generale\, making i
 t a pivotal region to investigate these dynamics. \n\nDespite its signific
 ance\, the study of pastoral phases in the Central Sahara is hampered by a
  highly fragmented zooarchaeological record\, which rarely permits taxonom
 ic determinations\, leaving gaps in our understanding of species exploited
  in the past. Recent developments in the study of collagen peptides\, a pr
 oteomic application named “Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry” (ZooMS
 )\, offer new research perspectives on animal management strategies throug
 h the identification of morphologically ambiguous or unidentifiable bone f
 ragments.\n\nThe high-resolution analysis of the faunal record from severa
 l archaeological contexts in southwestern Libya dated between Middle and L
 ate Holocene (8300-3400 cal BP)\, using Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometr
 y (ZooMS) — the first application of this method in the Sahara — demon
 strate the potential of this method to enhance our knowledge of pastoralis
 m in North Africa\, shedding light on the intricate processes underlying t
 he region's socio-economic transformations.\n\nTo attend the talk online: 
 https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ap30TR_XT0paZImn_9u48xGmQW63
 2DVb_5DPl6N-Bl7A1%40thread.tacv2/1737368653020?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%224
 9a50445-bdfa-4b79-ade3-547b4f3986e9%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22fd6eb29a-becf-4b01
 -bc4b-963ba412d20f%22%7d\n\nMeeting ID: 320 403 630 094\nPasscode: QK9SN2j
 z\n
LOCATION:Garrod Seminar Room\, MacDonald Institute for Archaeological Rese
 arch
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