Cattle were the most common domestic livestock animal throughout much of the Neolithic period in the area now occupied by modern day Switzerland, home to a significant number of sites dating to between approximately 4400 and 2500 cal BC. Many of these sites were located in wetland locations, resulting in very well-preserved large faunal assemblages which can be dated using dendrochronology with rare precision. This region is also particularly important for our knowledge of the spread of culture and innovation through Central Europe during the Neolithic period—its topography results in a natural corridor through which influences travelled from both the east and west. This study is the first to combine cattle data from across the whole of Switzerland, focusing on %NISP and biometrical data, in order to investigate how cattle husbandry changed over time, comparing the east and west of the region. A number of different temporal scales are used in order to look for broad patterns and then focus in for more detail. Results indicate that there is a clear correlation between %NISP and body size of cattle throughout much of the Swiss Neolithic and that cattle husbandry changed broadly in line with perceived cultural changes in both the east and west. Of particular interest is a clear increase in both %NISP and body size around the time of the introduction of the Corded Ware culture, contrary to the general pattern of cattle body size decrease seen across Europe at this time. This change is seen, however, in the west of Switzerland prior to the east and raises questions around alternative origins and areas of influence. Either way, the most likely explanation for the increase in cattle size is the introduction of a new population (or populations) of larger cattle into the region, which are incorporated into herds over a few hundred years, providing perhaps some of the earliest evidence for cattle “improvement” in Europe.

牛是新石器时代大部分时间里最常见的家畜，如今已被现代瑞士所占据，这里有许多遗址可追溯到公元前4400至2500 cal。这些地点中有许多都位于湿地，导致保存得很好的大型动物群，可以使用树轮年代学进行精确的年代测定。这个地区对于我们了解新石器时代文化在中欧的文化传播和创新尤为重要，它的地形形成了一条自然的走廊，影响力从东方和西方传播。这项研究是第一个结合来自整个瑞士的牛数据的研究，重点是％NISP和生物特征数据，为了调查畜牧业随时间的变化，比较了该地区的东部和西部。为了寻找宽泛的模式然后集中更多细节，使用了许多不同的时间尺度。结果表明，在瑞士新石器时代的大部分地区，％NISP与牛的体型之间存在明显的相关性，而且畜牧业的变化与东部和西部的文化变化大体一致。特别令人感兴趣的是，在引入有线洁具文化时，％NISP和体型都明显增加，这与目前整个欧洲的牛体型普遍下降是相反的。但是，这种变化在瑞士西部比东部更早见到，并引发了有关替代起源和影响范围的疑问。无论哪种方式，