Palaeoproteomics confirm earliest domesticated sheep in southern Africa ca. 2000 BP

Abstract

We used palaeoproteomics and peptide mass fingerprinting to obtain secure species identifications of key specimens of early domesticated fauna from South Africa, dating to ca. 2000 BP. It can be difficult to distinguish fragmentary remains of early domesticates (sheep) from similar-sized local wild bovids (grey duiker, grey rhebok, springbok—southern Africa lacks wild sheep) based on morphology alone. Our analysis revealed a Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) marker (m/z 1532) present in wild bovids and we demonstrate through LC–MS/MS that it is capable of discriminating between wild bovids and caprine domesticates. We confirm that the Spoegrivier specimen dated to 2105 ± 65 BP is indeed a sheep. This is the earliest directly dated evidence of domesticated animals in southern Africa. As well as the traditional method of analysing bone fragments, we show the utility of minimally destructive sampling methods such as PVC eraser and polishing films for successful ZooMS identification. We also show that collagen extracted more than 25 years ago for the purpose of radiocarbon dating can yield successful ZooMS identification. Our study demonstrates the importance of developing appropriate regional frameworks of comparison for future research using ZooMS as a method of biomolecular species identification.

A primer for ZooMS applications in archaeology

“…This is applicable in the reconstruction of terrestrial ecosystems ( 19 , 20 ), but ZooMS is even more powerful when applied to the reconstruction of aquatic ecosystems due to the larger number of possible species usually present and the reduced ability to achieve desired taxonomic resolution using conventional techniques ( 21 , 22 ). Although the integration of findings from ZooMS data into current conservation practices remains limited, recent ZooMS successes in identifying ivory ( 3 ) and distinguishing wild African bovids ( 11 , 23 ) show great promise for providing low-cost solutions for identifying the trade of illicit animal products, such as ivory objects and bushmeat.…”

Grappling with Diversity in Livestock-Related, Non-Agriculturist Archaeology in the Light of Genetic Research into the Lactase Persistence Allele, -14010*C, in Southern Africa

“…From about 2100 years ago, the first, very slight evidence for pottery and domestic stock appears at sites that are conventionally associated with the spread of livestock-keeping without agriculture (referred to as Later Stone Age (LSA) sites in this chapter) (see Lander and Russell (2018) for a detailed review of the data from 551 BC to AD 1056). The most securely identified and directly dated sheep specimen derives from the site Spoegrivier on the western half of southern Africa and dates to around 2100 years ago (Coutu et al, 2021). The earliest appearance of domestic cattle at sites conventionally associated with the spread of farmers speaking Bantu-languages occurs from about 1750 BP onwards (referred to as farmer sites in this chapter).…”

Maternal Relationships among Ancient and Modern Southern African Sheep: Newly Discovered Mitochondrial Haplogroups

“…It should be noted that these results have been challenged on morphological grounds [37][38][39] and those challenges are disputed [40,41]. Protein analyses have likewise both revised [42] and confirmed [43] original morphological identifications as domestic stock in South Africa and Namibia. To the best of our knowledge, the protein-based correction of a morphological species assignment has not been challenged.…”