Destined for Slaughter: Identifying Seasonal Breeding Patterns in Sheep and Goats in Early Babylonia (original) (raw)
AI-generated Abstract
An improved understanding of the seasonality of birth and breeding activities of sheep and goats in early Mesopotamia contributes to the reconstruction of ancient breeding practices and impacts on pastoral and administrative tasks. This article revisits the interpretation of the Sumerian classification for sexually mature ewes and does found in Ur III administrative texts, utilizing an interdisciplinary approach that includes ethnographic data. The findings suggest that these classifications refer to infertile animals or poor producers, supporting a relatively short mating season in the autumn and the majority of births occurring in the early months of the year.
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