Isotopic Analysis of Teeth from the Zulu Kingdom Period Sites in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The objective of this study is to analyse cattle and sheep/goat molars from uMgungundlovu, esiKhlebheni-3, kwaDukuza-2, and oNdini to (1) determine whether there was a differential contribution of C3 or C4 vegetation to the diet of animals; (2) examine seasonal variation in grazing by herds; (3) investigate the kinds of herding strategies practiced during the Zulu Kingdom period; and (4) determine whether cattle were acquired from outside the local range of bioavailable strontium in the emaKhosini and Mhlabathini plain.