Exploring low-magnification dental microwear of domestic ungulates: Qualitative observations to infer palaeodiets

Low-Magnification Dental Microwear Analysis (LMDA) has been widely applied to reconstruct the palaeodiet of wild ungulates. Quantitative observations of the microscopic scratches and pits on the surfaces of the dental enamel of these species allow to distinguish different diets. LMDA has more recently also served to shed light on the palaeodiets of domestic ungulates such as caprines. This technique, however, has not been widely applied to domestic ungulates from extant and archaeological material. In fact, the findings of a recent experimental study indicate that the quantification of pits and scratches affecting the dental enamel of two groups of ewes do not allow to discriminate between feeding in rangeland and grassland areas. The current study therefore explores the potential of a number of different qualitative observations (e.g. presence/absence of surface damage or furrows) to identify the diet of the aforementioned group of ewes. Despite the fact that the results are prone to intraobserver error, they nonetheless indicate that certain variables can serve to discern palaeodiets. The model gleaned from the extant ewes was then applied to archaeological material of caprines from La Ramasse and Lattara, two Iron Age sites in southeastern France. The preliminary results indicate disparities of the type of dental microwear of caprines from one site to another, differences that could derive from different feeding patterns stemming from dissimilar environmental conditions or different strategies employed by herders.