Marston co-author on cattle diet and management at Gordion
In an article just published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, lead author Audrey Crabbé and co-authors, including Marston, present the first isotopic data on pathological cattle foot bones, which indicate their status as draught animals. Comparing pathological and non-pathological cattle bones from Gordion, isotopic evidence reveals that draught cattle received specific diets with more regulated feeding strategies than non-pathological cattle, with diets involving cultivated cereals, legumes, and wild forage. Additionally, the isotopic composition of these bones indicates a shift from diverse strategies of agropastoralism to more intensive, cereal-focused land use that were likely linked to political centralization and population growth during the rise of the Phrygian Kingdom during the Iron Age.