Cheia is an Early Eneolithic site (beginning of the Vth mill. BC; Hamangia culture) settled in the central hills of the Dobrodgea province in south-eastern Romania. The site delivered an exceptional collection of faunal remains. Although the economy relied heavily on cattle husbandry, an important secondary role was given to domestic caprines. The recovered assemblage includes an important number of sheep tooth rows. We performed stable isotope analyses in tooth enamel from the second and third molars of different individuals. Variations in the sequential analyses of carbonate d18O values in both molars are used to investigate seasonal reproduction patterns. The results obtained are compared with recently available data from modern referential breed sheep populations in Europe with known birth dates. High seasonal resolution is finally obtained and the distribution of sheep births throughout the year is represented, adding significance information to the study of sheep managment.Research funded by the ERC Starting Grant SIANHE and the CNCS � UEFISCDI (ProjectPN-II-ID-PCE-2011- 3-1015)

Seasonal reproduction patterns by isotopic signatures ( δ<sup>18</sup>O) on early Eneolithic sheep of Cheia (beginning of the 5<sup>th</sup> mil. cal BC, Romania)

245th National Meeting (2013)

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Seasonal reproduction patterns by isotopic signatures ( δ18O) on early Eneolithic sheep of Cheia (beginning of the 5th mil. cal BC, Romania)

Seasonal reproduction patterns by isotopic signatures ( δ¹⁸O) on early Eneolithic sheep of Cheia (beginning of the 5^th mil. cal BC, Romania)