Exploring early farming diets and population dynamics in the Neolithic central Balkans

The adoption of agriculture and sedentary lifestyle in the Neolithic may have triggered the process of Neolithic demographic transition (NDT) which, eventually, promoted the formation of early urban centers (e.g. Bocquet-Appel 2002; Belwood, Oxenham 2008; Drennan, Peterson 2008). The change in the food procurement system (from foraging to food production) and diet (e.g. greater intake of carbohydrates) is seen as a key factor in the increase of fertility rate leading to the remarkable population growth. No direct evidence, however, such as osteological or nutritional indicators has been examined to establish the absolute link between the "cause" (dietary shift) and the "effect" (population growth) offered as an explanation for the NDT