Paleo-proteomic analysis of Iron Age dental calculus provides direct evidence of Scythian reliance on ruminant dairy

Abstract

The Scythians, often described as mounted horse-back warriors of the Iron Age steppe with lavish burial goods, have attracted increasing scientific interest over the past years. Recent genetic and multi-isotopic studies have uncovered that the ‘Scythians’ were neither a homogenous political nor a cultural group, but rather diverse populations of heterogeneous origins with intricate socio-political systems. Although populational differences in agro-pastoral subsistence regimes of Northern Black Sea Region groups have previously been identified through stable isotope analysis, it remains unclear which animal products were consumed. Here we investigate the dietary systems of two Scythian-era populations in present-day Ukraine using protein analysis of ancient dental calculus. Various dietary proteins and their taxonomic origin were identified revealing the consumption of milk from ruminant and equine species. This study supplements previous findings that Scythians engaged in complex, agro-pastoralist subsistence strategies in forest-steppe and steppe environments.