Sr-O-C-N isotope data from Neolithic fauna from Swifterbant, the Netherlands

Abstract

This dataset presents enamel strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr), oxygen (δ¹⁸O), and carbon (δ¹³C) isotope data, together with bone and dentine collagen carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope values, from Neolithic cattle, sheep/goat, and domesticated or wild pigs recovered from Swifterbant in the Netherlands. The dataset comprises 28 individual animals. For most specimens, sequential enamel samples were collected along the tooth crown at three positions: the cementum–enamel junction (CEJ), the apex or near-apex, and an intermediate position, allowing reconstruction of seasonal or life-history isotopic variation. The data provide the first isotopic evidence for livestock mobility in northern Europe during the fifth millennium BCE. As such, the dataset offers new insights into early animal husbandry practices and mobility networks among Neolithic communities and contributes to ongoing discussions about the role of livestock movement and social interaction in the spread of farming practices.

Keywords

• fauna
• neolithic
• strontium
• carbon
• oxygen
• nitrogen
• the Netherlands