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Stewart M, Andrieux E, Blinkhorn J, Guagnin M, Fernandes R, Vanwezer N, Hatton A, Alqahtani M, Zalmout I, Clark-Wilson R, Al-Mufarreh YSA, Al-Shanti M, Zahrani B, Al Omari A, Al-Jibreen F, Alsharekh AM, Scerri EML, Boivin N, Petraglia MD, Groucutt HS. First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299292. [PMID: 38630666 PMCID: PMC11023468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have focused on the evolution and historical development of regional human populations as well as the diverse patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptations to environmental fluctuations. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cultural developments such as the emergence and lifeways of Neolithic groups has been hindered by the limited preservation of stratified archaeological assemblages and organic remains, a common challenge in arid environments. Underground settings like caves and lava tubes, which are prevalent in Arabia but which have seen limited scientific exploration, offer promising opportunities for addressing these issues. Here, we report on an archaeological excavation and a related survey at and around Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia. Our results reveal repeated phases of human occupation of the site ranging from at least the Neolithic through to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age. Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records, suggesting that Umm Jirsan was situated along a pastoral route linking key oases. Isotopic data indicates that herbivores primarily grazed on wild grasses and shrubs rather than being provided with fodder, while humans had a diet consistently high in protein but with increasing consumption of C3 plants through-time, perhaps related to the emergence of oasis agriculture. While underground and naturally sheltered localities are globally prominent in archaeology and Quaternary science, our work represents the first such combined records for Saudi Arabia and highlight the potential for interdisciplinary studies in caves and lava tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew Stewart
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- Extreme Events Research Group, the Max Planck Institutes of Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Eric Andrieux
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - James Blinkhorn
- Human Palaeosystems Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Maria Guagnin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Ricardo Fernandes
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Bioarchaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Warszaw, Poland
- Arne Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- Climate Change and History Research Initiative, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Nils Vanwezer
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | - Amy Hatton
- Extreme Events Research Group, the Max Planck Institutes of Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mesfer Alqahtani
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Iyad Zalmout
- Palaeontology Division, Directorate of Geological Survey, Survey and Exploration Centre, Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Museum of Palaeontology, Research Museum Centre, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Richard Clark-Wilson
- Centre for Quaternary Research, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mahmoud Al-Shanti
- Geotourism Department, Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Badr Zahrani
- Heritage Commission, Ministry of Culture, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Abdullah M. Alsharekh
- Department of Archaeology, College of Tourism and Archaeology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eleanor M. L. Scerri
- Human Palaeosystems Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nicole Boivin
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Griffith Sciences, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael D. Petraglia
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Human Origins Program, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Huw S. Groucutt
- Extreme Events Research Group, the Max Planck Institutes of Geoanthropology, Chemical Ecology, and Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Piličiauskienė G, Skipitytė R, Micelicaitė V, Blaževičius P. Dogs in Lithuania from the 12th to 18th C AD: Diet and Health According to Stable Isotope, Zooarchaeological, and Historical Data. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1023. [PMID: 38612262 PMCID: PMC11011073 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
This article presents the results of research that focused on the nutrition and related health issues of medieval and early modern dogs found in the territory of present-day Lithuania. In this study, we present bone collagen carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios for seventy-five dogs recovered from seven sites which were dated back to the between the 12th and 18th C AD. In addition, by studying the remains of almost 200 dogs, we were able to estimate changes in the sizes and morphotypes of canines across over 600 years. On the basis of stable isotope and historical data, as well as the osteometric analysis, we discuss the dietary patterns of different sizes and types of dogs from the sites related to different social strata and time periods. The results of our study demonstrate that the size, type, diet, and health of canines from different time periods and sociocultural environments varied. Overall, carbon isotopic signals indicate that dogs' diets were based on C3 plant environment foods (cereals and animals), while freshwater fish was more important for some individuals in coastal Klaipėda/Memelburg Castle. The stable isotope analysis supported the historical records, indicating that cereals were highly important in the diet of elite dogs. Meanwhile, urban dogs had a different nutrition. In the Middle Ages, the consumption of plant-based foods was likely higher compared to the early modern period. Our study also revealed that the diets of dogs did not correlate with individual size. Compared to pigs, dogs had a higher intake of animal foods in their diet. In general, the nutrition of the studied canines was similar to that of the rural human population of the same period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giedrė Piličiauskienė
- Department of Archaeology, Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 7, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania; (R.S.); (V.M.); (P.B.)
| | - Raminta Skipitytė
- Department of Archaeology, Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 7, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania; (R.S.); (V.M.); (P.B.)
- Isotopic Research Laboratory of Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanorių Ave. 231, 02300 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Viktorija Micelicaitė
- Department of Archaeology, Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 7, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania; (R.S.); (V.M.); (P.B.)
| | - Povilas Blaževičius
- Department of Archaeology, Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 7, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania; (R.S.); (V.M.); (P.B.)
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Pezo-Lanfranco L, Colonese AC. The role of farming and fishing in the rise of social complexity in the Central Andes: a stable isotope perspective. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4582. [PMID: 38403727 PMCID: PMC10894859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55436-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
For many years, the rise of stratified societies along the Central Andean coast, known as the birthplace of Andean civilization, has been closely linked to a marine-oriented economy. This hypothesis has recently been challenged by increasing evidence of plant management and cultivation among Andean populations long before the emergence of complex societies and monumental architecture. The extent to which marine and plant-based economies were integrated and their contributions to early sedentism, population growth, and intra-community stratification, however, remain subjects of ongoing and contentious debate. Using Bayesian Mixing Models we reanalyze the previously published stable isotopes (δ15Ncollagen, δ13Ccollagen, δ13Capatite) values of 572 human individuals from 39 archaeological sites in the Central Andes dated between ca. 7000 BCE and 200 CE to reconstruct dietary regimes in probabilistic terms. Our results reveal that fish, terrestrial fauna, and cultivated plants variably contributed to the diet of prehistoric Andean populations; in coastal and middle valley settlements plant cultivation, not fishing, fueled the development of the earliest complex societies during the Formative Period (from 3000 BCE). Similarly, in the highlands the societies that built ceremonial centers show a plant-based economy. Our findings also show that maize only became a staple food (> 25% dietary contribution) in more recent phases of Andean prehistory, around 500 BCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Pezo-Lanfranco
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Prehistory, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - André Carlo Colonese
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Prehistory, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
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Meadows J, Khramtsova A, Piezonka H, Krause-Kyora B, da Silva N, Kostyleva E, Dobrovolskaya M, Veselovskaya E, Vasilyev S. Dietary 14C reservoir effects and the chronology of prehistoric burials at Sakhtysh, central European Russia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk2904. [PMID: 38381818 PMCID: PMC10881043 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk2904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
We present a robust radiocarbon (14C) chronology for burials at Sakhtysh, in European Russia, where nearly 180 inhumations of Lyalovo and Volosovo pottery-using hunter-gatherer-fishers represent the largest known populations of both groups. Past dating attempts were restricted by poor understanding of dietary 14C reservoir effects (DREs). We developed a DRE correction approach that uses multiple linear regression of differences in 14C, δ13C, and δ15N between bones and teeth of the same individuals to predict DREs of up to approximately 900 years. Our chronological model dates Lyalovo burials to the early fifth millennium BCE, and Volosovo burials to the mid-fourth to early third millennium. It reveals a change in the subsistence economy at approximately 3300 BCE, coinciding with a reorientation of trade networks, and dates the final burial to the early Fatyanovo period, the regional expression of the Yamnaya/Corded Ware expansion. Our approach is applicable when freshwater 14C reservoir effects are poorly constrained and grave goods cannot be dated directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Meadows
- Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA), Schloss Gottorf, Schleswig, Germany
- Leibniz Laboratory for AMS Dating and Isotope Research, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Henny Piezonka
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ben Krause-Kyora
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Nicolas da Silva
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Maria Dobrovolskaya
- Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Elizaveta Veselovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Sergey Vasilyev
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russian Federation
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Icaro I, Alemán I, Viciano J. Stable Isotopes Unveil Dietary Trends in the Samnite and Peligni Communities of Opi Val Fondillo and Sulmona S. Lucia (V-VI Centuries BCE, Abruzzo, Central Italy). BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1382. [PMID: 37997981 PMCID: PMC10669869 DOI: 10.3390/biology12111382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to gain insights into the subsistence activities and nutrition of the Samnite and Peligni populations who lived in the Abruzzo region (Italy) during the Iron Age. The samples under investigation are from Opi Val Fondillo (AQ) and Sulmona S. Lucia (AQ), dating between the Vth and VIth centuries BCE. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes were utilized to characterize the diet of the inhabitants in this region. The study involved analyzing carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in 84 available samples and comparing them with isotopic values from animals found in the nearby sites of Loreto Aprutino, Gabii, and La Sassa's Cave. The results of this study revealed statistically significant differences between sexes in δ15N values. Additionally, significant statistical variations were observed when comparing different populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuri Icaro
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, University of Granada, Avenida de la Investigación 11, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Inmaculada Alemán
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, University of Granada, Avenida de la Investigación 11, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Joan Viciano
- Independent Researcher in Physical Anthropology, Via Fiume 4, 65122 Pescara, Italy;
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Sánchez-Cañadillas E, Beaumont J, Santana-Cabrera J, Gorton M, Arnay-de-la-Rosa M. The early lives of the islanders: Stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine collagen from the prehispanic period of the Canary Islands. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:300-317. [PMID: 37530169 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study presents isotopic information for incremental dentine collagen and bone bulk collagen from individuals from the Canary Islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria) to explore dietary differences during childhood life. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight individuals have been studied, which comprises 122 δ15 N and δ13 C incremental dentine measurements and eight bulk bone collagen analyses. A baseline of potentially consumed food sources has been developed for comparative purposes. A food reconstruction using isotopic transferred signals (FRUITS) model of probable contributions of each food source towards the diet of each individual has been developed. All samples but one belongs to the later period of indigenous occupation of the archipelago. RESULTS The dentine collagen data are presented in correlated δ13 C and δ15 N plots per individual, showing the isotopic changes throughout time. δ15 N values for each individual tend to be variable whereas δ13 C data are generally more stable with a range of +9.1 to +14‰ for δ15 N and -17.4 to -20.8‰ for δ13 C. CONCLUSION The isotopic analysis allows for the reconstruction of eight dietary profiles, which allow us to estimate the different dietary protein sources. The FRUITS model shows different percentages of the primary food sources for each individual. Where both δ13 C and δ15 N are elevated, this could be indicative of a higher marine contribution to the diet. There appear to be two main dietary profiles identifiable in the dataset and these may be related to changes in status or place of residence. Short-term variations in δ13 C and δ15 N and opposing co-variance of isotopic values can be indicative of nutritional stress, although metabolic changes during growth are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elías Sánchez-Cañadillas
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Julia Beaumont
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | - Jonathan Santana-Cabrera
- Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Marise Gorton
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | - Matilde Arnay-de-la-Rosa
- Departamento de Geografía e Historia, Unidad de Docencia e Investigación de Prehistoria, Arqueología e Historia Antigua, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain
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García-Vázquez A, Bălășescu A, Vasile G, Golea M, Radu V, Opriș V, Ignat T, Culea M, Covătaru C, Sava G, Lazăr C. Unravelling the resilience of the KGK VI population from the Gumelnița site (Romania) through stable isotopes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8499. [PMID: 37231015 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35129-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gumelnița site belongs to the Kodjadermen-Gumelnița-Karanovo VI (KGK VI) communities (c. 4700-3900 cal BC) and comprises the tell-type settlement and its corresponding cemetery. This paper reconstructs the diet and lifeways of the Chalcolithic people in the northeastern Balkans using archaeological remains found at the Gumelnița site (Romania). A multi-bioarchaeological investigation (archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, anthropology) was conducted on vegetal, animal, and human remains, alongside radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N) of humans (n = 33), mammals (n = 38), reptiles (n = 3), fishes (n = 8), freshwater mussels shells (n = 18), and plants (n = 24). According to the results of δ13C and δ15N values and FRUITS, the inhabitants of Gumelnița had a diet based on crops and using natural resources, such as fish, freshwater molluscs and game. Although domestic fauna was occasionally exploited for meat, it had a role in providing secondary products. Crops were heavily manured, and chaff and other crop waste may have been necessary fodder for cattle and sheep. Dogs and pigs fed on human waste, although the diet of the latter is more similar to that of wild boars. Foxes had a diet close to dogs, which may indicate synanthropic behaviour. Radiocarbon dates were calibrated with the percentage of freshwater resources obtained by FRUITS. As a result, the corrected dates for the freshwater reservoir effect (FRE) have a delay of an average of 147 years. According to our data, this agrarian community developed a subsistence strategy under the pressure of some climatic changes that started after 4300 cal BC, corresponding to KGK VI rapid collapse/decline episode tracked recently (that begins around 4350 cal BC). This matching of our data in the two models (climatic and chrono-demographic) allowed us to capture the economic strategies that led to the resilience of those people more than other contemporary KGK VI communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana García-Vázquez
- ArchaeoSciences Platform, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Adrian Bălășescu
- ArchaeoSciences Platform, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Gabriel Vasile
- "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihaela Golea
- "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Valentin Radu
- ArchaeoSciences Platform, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- National Museum of Romanian History, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vasile Opriș
- ArchaeoSciences Platform, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Bucharest Municipality Museum, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Theodor Ignat
- ArchaeoSciences Platform, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- Bucharest Municipality Museum, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihaela Culea
- "Francisc J. Rainer" Institute of Anthropology, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cristina Covătaru
- ArchaeoSciences Platform, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Gabriela Sava
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Măgurele, Romania
| | - Cătălin Lazăr
- ArchaeoSciences Platform, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
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A Bayesian multi-proxy contribution to the socioeconomic, political, and cultural history of late medieval Capitanata (southern Italy). Sci Rep 2023; 13:4078. [PMID: 36906701 PMCID: PMC10008551 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30706-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Medieval southern Italy is typically viewed as a region where political, religious, and cultural systems coexisted and clashed. Written sources often focus on elites and give an image of a hierarchical feudal society supported by a farming economy. We undertook an interdisciplinary study combining historical and archaeological evidence with Bayesian modelling of multi-isotope data from human (n = 134) and faunal (n = 21) skeletal remains to inform on the socioeconomic organisation, cultural practices, and demographics of medieval communities in Capitanata (southern Italy). Isotopic results show significant dietary differences within local populations supportive of marked socioeconomic hierarchies. Bayesian dietary modelling suggested that cereal production, followed by animal management practices, was the economic basis of the region. However, minor consumption of marine fish, potentially associated with Christian practices, revealed intra-regional trade. At the site of Tertiveri, isotope-based clustering and Bayesian spatial modelling identified migrant individuals likely from the Alpine region plus one Muslim individual from the Mediterranean coastline. Our results align with the prevailing image of Medieval southern Italy but they also showcase how Bayesian methods and multi-isotope data can be used to directly inform on the history of local communities and of the legacy that these left.
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Shev GT, Laffoon JE. Paleodietary reconstruction of endemic rodents from the precolumbian Dominican Republic: Discriminating wild feeding behavior from diets linked to human niche construction activities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY 2022; 32:976-995. [PMID: 36618439 PMCID: PMC9804766 DOI: 10.1002/oa.3149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the Greater Antilles, certain animal taxa that have long been theorized to have been managed by indigenous peoples prior to AD1492, the main candidates being a group of endemic caviomorph rodents known as hutias (Capromyinae). This isotopic study investigates the paleodiets of several species of endemic rodents from three late precolonial sites in the northern Dominican Republic: El Flaco (cal. ad 990-1452), El Carril (cal. ad 1030-1262), and La Entrada (cal. ad 840-900) to assess whether human influence over animal diets can be determined. We examined bone collagen carbon (δ13Cco) and nitrogen (δ15N) and tooth enamel carbon (δ13Cen) isotope values of three species of hutias, Isolobodon portoricensis, Isolobodon montanus, and Plagiodontia aedium, alongside edible rat (Brotomys sp.), and domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus). To estimate dietary source contributions, we employed a Bayesian dietary mixing model (FRUITS v.3.0) and ran three different permutations to assess the relative contributions of C3 or C4/CAM plants. The addition of an extra 79 wild C3 and 40 wild C4/CAM plant species' isotope values from published sources to an established isotopic foodweb for the Caribbean region enabled us to discriminate between wild and domestic C3 and C4/CAM plant food sources in two of these models. Our results provide evidence of the significant consumption of domestic C4/CAM plants by some animals. This likely represents maize (Zea mays) consumption, which is known to have been ubiquitously cultivated by indigenous peoples in the region. This is particularly the case for I. portoricensis, as FRUITS modeling suggests that a few individuals consumed C4/CAM plants well beyond their expected natural diets as determined from feeding studies of extant hutia species. This may indicate human influence over endemic rodent diets due to niche construction activities such as horticultural practices and may reflect either opportunistic feeding on human produce or the purposeful supplementation of hutia diets by humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gene T. Shev
- Faculty of ArchaeologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Jason E. Laffoon
- Faculty of ArchaeologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Geology & Geochemistry ClusterVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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Presenting the Compendium Isotoporum Medii Aevi, a Multi-Isotope Database for Medieval Europe. Sci Data 2022; 9:354. [PMID: 35729167 PMCID: PMC9213510 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01462-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we present the Compendium Isotoporum Medii Aevi (CIMA), an open-access database gathering more than 50,000 isotopic measurements for bioarchaeological samples located within Europe and its margins, and dating between 500 and 1500 CE. This multi-isotope (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, δ18O, and 87Sr/86Sr) archive of measurements on human, animal, and plant archaeological remains also includes a variety of supporting information that offer, for instance, a taxonomic characterization of the samples, their location, and chronology, in addition to data on social, religious, and political contexts. Such a dataset can be used to identify data gaps for future research and to address multiple research questions, including those related with studies on medieval human lifeways (i.e. human subsistence, spatial mobility), characterization of paleo-environmental and -climatic conditions, and on plant and animal agricultural management practices. Brief examples of such applications are given here and we also discuss how the integration of large volumes of isotopic data with other types of archaeological and historical data can improve our knowledge of medieval Europe. Measurement(s) | Isotopes | Technology Type(s) | Mass Spectrometry | Factor Type(s) | Carbon isotopes • nitrogen isotopes • sulfur isotopes • oxygen isotopes • strontium isotopes | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Humans • Animals • Plants | Sample Characteristic - Location | Europe and Periphery |
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11
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Milella M, Caspari G, Laffranchi Z, Arenz G, Sadykov T, Blochin J, Keller M, Kapinus Y, Lösch S. Dining in Tuva: Social correlates of diet and mobility in Southern Siberia during the 2nd–4th centuries
CE. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022. [PMCID: PMC9314596 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Objectives Contemporary archeological theory emphasizes the economic and social complexity of Eurasian steppe populations. As a result, old notions of “nomadic” cultures as homogenously mobile and economically simple are now displaced by more nuanced interpretations. Large part of the literature on diet and mobility among Eurasian pastoralists is focused on the Bronze and Iron Ages. The underrepresentation of more recent contexts hampers a full discussion of possible chronological trajectories. In this study we explore diet and mobility at Tunnug1 (Republic of Tuva, 2nd–4th century CE), and test their correlation with social differentiation. Materials and Methods We compare demographic patterns (by age‐at‐death and sex) of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope ratios (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S) among 65 humans and 12 animals from Tunnug1 using nonparametric tests and Bayesian modeling. We then compare isotopic data with data on perimortal skeletal lesions of anthropic origin and funerary variables. Results Our analyses show that: (1) diet at Tunnug1 was largely based on C4 plants (likely millet) and animal proteins; (2) few individuals were nonlocals, although their geographic origin remains unclarified; (3) no differences in diet separates individuals based on sex and funerary treatment. In contrast, individuals with perimortal lesions show carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios consistent with a diet incorporating a lower consumption of millet and animal proteins. Discussion Our results confirm the previously described socioeconomic variability of steppe populations, providing at the same time new data about the economic importance of millet in Southern Siberia during the early centuries CE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Milella
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine University of Bern Bern
| | - Gino Caspari
- Department of Archaeology University of Sydney Sydney Australia
- Institute of Archaeological Sciences University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Zita Laffranchi
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine University of Bern Bern
| | - Gabriele Arenz
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine University of Bern Bern
| | - Timur Sadykov
- Institute for the History of Material Culture Russian Academy of Sciences St. Petersburg Russia
| | - Jegor Blochin
- Institute for the History of Material Culture Russian Academy of Sciences St. Petersburg Russia
| | - Marcel Keller
- Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics University of Tartu Tartu Estonia
| | - Yulija Kapinus
- Volga‐Ural Center for Paleoanthropological Research SSSPU Samara Russia
| | - Sandra Lösch
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine University of Bern Bern
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12
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Pezo-Lanfranco L, Machacuay M, Novoa P, Peralta R, Mayer E, Eggers S, Shady R. The diet at the onset of the Andean Civilization: New stable isotope data from Caral and Áspero, North-Central Coast of Peru. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:402-424. [PMID: 36787651 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The subsistence system of the first urban centers with monumental architecture from the North-Central Coast of Peru, the core area for the social complexity process of Central Andes, has been debated since the late 1960s. To shed light on this aspect, we report paleodietary data from the two most important sites of the Supe Valley: Caral (3000-200 BC), the major settlement of the middle valley, and Áspero (3000-1800 BC), a notable coastal settlement. Our main objective was to test the Maritime Foundations of Andean Civilization hypothesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Stable isotope values (δ13 Ccol , δ13 Cap , and δ15 N) from 52 individuals (70 samples: 44 bones and 26 teeth) were analyzed using conventional methods and Bayesian Mixing Models to address the role of marine products and plants in people's diet at both sites over time. RESULTS Our results suggest high C3 carbohydrate consumption (55%-68% total calories in Áspero and >70% in Caral). The consumption of marine resources was stable for Áspero between 3300 and 1800 BC, but it decreased for Caral between 2550 and 200 BC. DISCUSSION Marine protein was more important in Áspero than in Caral over time. C3 plants, possibly tubers, formed the foundation of the diet in both sites during the Formative period (~3000-200 BC). Maize was a marginal food (<12% of calories) at least until 800 BC (29% of calories). The Maritime Foundations hypothesis does not completely account for these findings. Our results suggest the predominance of crop-focused agriculture during the evaluated period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Pezo-Lanfranco
- Laboratório de Antropologia Biológica, Instituto de Biociências-Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Machacuay
- Zona Arqueológica Caral, Unidad Ejecutora 003, Ministerio de Cultura del Peru, Lima, Peru
| | - Pedro Novoa
- Zona Arqueológica Caral, Unidad Ejecutora 003, Ministerio de Cultura del Peru, Lima, Peru.,Escuela Profesional de Arqueología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Rodolfo Peralta
- Zona Arqueológica Caral, Unidad Ejecutora 003, Ministerio de Cultura del Peru, Lima, Peru
| | - Elver Mayer
- Instituto de Estudos do Xingu, São Félix do Xingu, Brazil
| | - Sabine Eggers
- Anthropologische Abteilung, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Shady
- Zona Arqueológica Caral, Unidad Ejecutora 003, Ministerio de Cultura del Peru, Lima, Peru.,Escuela Profesional de Arqueología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
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13
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Revealing lost secrets about Yingpan Man and the Silk Road. Sci Rep 2022; 12:669. [PMID: 35027587 PMCID: PMC8758759 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04383-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Yingpan Man, is one of the most exquisitely preserved mummies found in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Here links between Yingpan Man and the Silk Road are explored through a detailed isotopic and bioarchaeological investigation of his life history. Analytical techniques of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope ratio analysis on hair, teeth, muscle and bones as well as associated animal and plant remains, radiocarbon dating and starch grain analysis of dental calculus are presented to visualize never before seen aspects of Yingpan Man’s life, including: environment, breastfeeding and weaning practices, adolescent and adult diet, disease and nutritional status as well as season of death. Furthermore, in combination with a detailed review of his associated grave goods, this research examines the social status and identity of Yingpan Man, and demonstrates the profound impact and cultural fusion that the Silk Road had upon the peoples of Xinjiang and Eurasia.
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14
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Abstract
Stable isotope analysis of teeth and bones is regularly applied by archeologists and paleoanthropologists seeking to reconstruct diets, ecologies, and environments of past hominin populations. Moving beyond the now prevalent study of stable isotope ratios from bulk materials, researchers are increasingly turning to stable isotope ratios of individual amino acids to obtain more detailed and robust insights into trophic level and resource use. In the present article, we provide a guide on how to best use amino acid stable isotope ratios to determine hominin dietary behaviors and ecologies, past and present. We highlight existing uncertainties of interpretation and the methodological developments required to ensure good practice. In doing so, we hope to make this promising approach more broadly accessible to researchers at a variety of career stages and from a variety of methodological and academic backgrounds who seek to delve into new depths in the study of dietary composition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ricardo Fernandes
- University of Oxford, Oxford, England, United Kingdom, and with the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University, Czech Republic
| | - Yiming V Wang
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Patrick Roberts
- School of Social Sciences, University of Queensland, in St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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15
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Fishing intensification as response to Late Holocene socio-ecological instability in southeastern South America. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23506. [PMID: 34873216 PMCID: PMC8648744 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02888-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of plant-based economies have dominated evolutionary models of Middle and Late Holocene pre-Columbian societies in South America. Comparatively, the use of aquatic resources and the circumstances for intensifying their exploitation have received little attention. Here we reviewed the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of 390 human individuals from Middle and Late Holocene coastal sambaquis, a long-lasting shell mound culture that flourished for nearly 7000 years along the Atlantic Forest coast of Brazil. Using a newly generated faunal isotopic baseline and Bayesian Isotope Mixing Models we quantified the relative contribution of marine resources to the diet of some of these groups. Through the analysis of more than 400 radiocarbon dates we show that fishing sustained large and resilient populations during most of the Late Holocene. A sharp decline was observed in the frequency of sambaqui sites and radiocarbon dates from ca. 2200 years ago, possibly reflecting the dissolution of several nucleated groups into smaller social units, coinciding with substantial changes in coastal environments. The spread of ceramics from ca. 1200 years ago is marked by innovation and intensification of fishing practices, in a context of increasing social and ecological instability in the Late Holocene.
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16
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Soncin S, Talbot HM, Fernandes R, Harris A, von Tersch M, Robson HK, Bakker JK, Richter KK, Alexander M, Ellis S, Thompson G, Amoretti V, Osanna M, Caso M, Sirano F, Fattore L, Colonese AC, Garnsey P, Bondioli L, Craig OE. High-resolution dietary reconstruction of victims of the 79 CE Vesuvius eruption at Herculaneum by compound-specific isotope analysis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/35/eabg5791. [PMID: 34433561 PMCID: PMC8386925 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg5791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The remains of those who perished at Herculaneum in 79 CE offer a unique opportunity to examine lifeways across an ancient community who lived and died together. Historical sources often allude to differential access to foodstuffs across Roman society but provide no direct or quantitative information. By determining the stable isotope values of amino acids from bone collagen and deploying Bayesian models that incorporate knowledge of protein synthesis, we were able to reconstruct the diets of 17 adults from Herculaneum with unprecedented resolution. Significant differences in the proportions of marine and terrestrial foods consumed were observed between males and females, implying that access to food was differentiated according to gender. The approach also provided dietary data of sufficient precision for comparison with assessments of food supply to modern populations, opening up the possibility of benchmarking ancient diets against contemporary settings where the consequences for health are better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Soncin
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK.
| | - Helen M Talbot
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Ricardo Fernandes
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alison Harris
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Harry K Robson
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Jan K Bakker
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
- ACASA, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kristine K Richter
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Steven Ellis
- Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Gill Thompson
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | | | | | - Marina Caso
- Parco Archeologico di Ercolano, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Luciano Fattore
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Andre C Colonese
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Prehistory and Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Peter Garnsey
- Faculty of History, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Luca Bondioli
- Servizio di Bioarcheologia, Museo delle Civiltà, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali, Università di Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Oliver E Craig
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK.
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17
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Bondetti M, González Carretero L, Dolbunova E, McGrath K, Presslee S, Lucquin A, Tsybriy V, Mazurkevich A, Tsybriy A, Jordan P, Heron C, Meadows J, Craig OE. Neolithic farmers or Neolithic foragers? Organic residue analysis of early pottery from Rakushechny Yar on the Lower Don (Russia). ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2021; 13:141. [PMID: 34777611 PMCID: PMC8550616 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-021-01412-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The emergence of pottery in Europe is associated with two distinct traditions: hunter-gatherers in the east of the continent during the early 6th millennium BC and early agricultural communities in the south-west in the late 7th millennium BC. Here we investigate the function of pottery from the site of Rakushechny Yar, located at the Southern fringe of Eastern Europe, in this putative contact zone between these two economic 'worlds'. To investigate, organic residue analysis was conducted on 120 samples from the Early Neolithic phase (ca. mid-6th millennium BC) along with microscopic and SEM analysis of associated foodcrusts. The results showed that the earliest phase of pottery use was predominantly used to process riverine resources. Many of the vessels have molecular and isotopic characteristics consistent with migratory fish, such as sturgeon, confirmed by the identification of sturgeon bony structures embedded in the charred surface deposits. There was no evidence of dairy products in any of the vessels, despite the fact these have been routinely identified in coeval sites to the south. Further analysis of some of the mammalian bones using ZooMS failed to demonstrate that domesticated animals were present in the Early Neolithic. Nevertheless, we argue that intensive exploitation of seasonally migratory fish, accompanied by large-scale pottery production, created storable surpluses that led to similar socio-economic outcomes as documented in early agricultural societies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-021-01412-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Bondetti
- BioArCh, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD UK
- Arctic Centre and Groningen Institute of Archaeology (GIA), University of Groningen, Aweg 30, 9718CW Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ekaterina Dolbunova
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, London, WC1B 3DG UK
- Department of Archaeology of Eastern Europe and Siberia, The State Hermitage Museum, 34 Dvortsovaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg, 190000 Russian Federation
| | - Krista McGrath
- ICTA, Universitate Autonoma de Barcelona, UAB 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola), Building Z Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sam Presslee
- BioArCh, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD UK
| | - Alexandre Lucquin
- BioArCh, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD UK
| | - Viktor Tsybriy
- Don Archaeological Society, 95A M Gorkogo, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation
| | - Andrey Mazurkevich
- Department of Archaeology of Eastern Europe and Siberia, The State Hermitage Museum, 34 Dvortsovaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg, 190000 Russian Federation
| | - Andrey Tsybriy
- Don Archaeological Society, 95A M Gorkogo, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation
| | - Peter Jordan
- Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Carl Heron
- Department of Scientific Research, The British Museum, London, WC1B 3DG UK
| | - John Meadows
- Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA), SchlossGottorf, Schleswig-Holstein State Museums Foundation, Schlossinsel 1, 24837 Schleswig, Germany
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- BioArCh, University of York, Environment Building, Wentworth Way Heslington, York, YO10 5DD UK
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18
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Toso A, Schifano S, Oxborough C, McGrath K, Spindler L, Castro A, Evangelista L, Filipe V, Gonçalves MJ, Marques A, Mendes da Silva I, Santos R, Valente MJ, McCleery I, Alexander M. Beyond faith: Biomolecular evidence for changing urban economies in multi-faith medieval Portugal. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:208-222. [PMID: 34110625 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES During the Middle Ages, Portugal witnessed unprecedented socioeconomic and religious changes under transitioning religious political rule. The implications of changing ruling powers for urban food systems and individual diets in medieval Portugal is poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the dietary impact of the Islamic and Christian conquests. MATERIALS AND METHODS Radiocarbon dating, peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS) and stable isotope analysis (δ13 C, δ15 N) of animal (n = 59) and human skeletal remains (n = 205) from Muslim and Christian burials were used to characterize the diet of a large historical sample from Portugal. A Bayesian stable isotope mixing model (BSIMM) was used to estimate the contribution of marine protein to human diet. RESULTS Early medieval (8-12th century), preconquest urban Muslim populations had mean (±1SD) values of -18.8 ± 0.4 ‰ for δ13 C 10.4 ± 1 ‰ for δ15 N, indicating a predominantly terrestrial diet, while late medieval (12-14th century) postconquest Muslim and Christian populations showed a greater reliance on marine resources with mean (±1SD) values of -17.9 ± 1.3‰ for δ13 C and 11.1 ± 1.1‰ for δ15 N. BSIMM estimation supported a significant increase in the contribution of marine resources to human diet. DISCUSSION The results provide the first biomolecular evidence for a dietary revolution that is not evidenced in contemporaneous historical accounts. We find that society transitioned from a largely agro-pastoral economy under Islamic rule to one characterized by a new focus on marine resources under later Christian rule. This economic change led to the naissance of the marine economy that went on to characterize the early-modern period in Portugal and its global expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Toso
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK.,Department of Prehistory & ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simona Schifano
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | | | - Krista McGrath
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK.,Department of Prehistory & ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luke Spindler
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Anabela Castro
- Departamento de Antropologia, Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.,Uniarq - Centro de Arqueologia, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Lucy Evangelista
- Era Arqueologia SA Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.,University of Algarve, Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Faro, Portugal
| | - Vanessa Filipe
- Cota 80.86.Lda, Lisbon, Portugal.,IAP, Instituto de Arqueologia e Paleociência, FCSH, Nova University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Antonio Marques
- CAL - Centro de Arqueologia de Lisboa, Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | | | - Maria João Valente
- FCHS, CEAACP - Centro de Estudos de Arqueologia, Artes e Ciências do Património, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Iona McCleery
- School of History/Institute for Medieval Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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19
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Taché K, Jaffe Y, Craig OE, Lucquin A, Zhou J, Wang H, Jiang S, Standall E, Flad RK. What do "barbarians" eat? Integrating ceramic use-wear and residue analysis in the study of food and society at the margins of Bronze Age China. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250819. [PMID: 33914818 PMCID: PMC8084173 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Siwa archaeological culture (ca. 3350 and 2650 cal yr BP) has often been associated with the tribes referenced in textual sources as Qiang and Rong: prized captives commonly sacrificed by the Shang and marauding hordes who toppled the Western Zhou dynasty. In early Chinese writings, food plays a key role in accentuating the 'sino-barbarian' dichotomy believed to have taken root over 3000 years ago, with the Qiang and Rong described as nomadic pastoralists who consumed more meat than grain and knew little of proper dining etiquette. To date, however, little direct archaeological evidence has allowed us to reconstruct the diet and foodways of the groups who occupied the Loess Plateau during this pivotal period. Here we present the results of the first ceramic use-wear study performed on the Siwa ma'an jars from the site of Zhanqi, combined with the molecular and isotopic characterization of lipid residues from foodcrusts, and evidence from experimental cooking. We report molecular data indicating the preparation of meals composed of millet and ruminant dairy among the Siwa community of Zhanqi. Use-wear analysis shows that Zhanqi community members were sophisticated creators of ceramic equipment, the ma'an cooking pot, which allowed them to prepare a wide number of dishes with limited fuel. These findings support recent isotope studies at Zhanqi as well as nuance the centrality of meat in the Siwa period diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Taché
- Department of Historical Sciences, Université Laval, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Yitzchak Jaffe
- Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Oliver E. Craig
- Department of archaeology, BioArch, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandre Lucquin
- Department of archaeology, BioArch, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Jing Zhou
- Gansu Institute of Archaeology, Lanzhou, Gansu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Institute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengpeng Jiang
- School of Archaeology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Edward Standall
- Department of archaeology, BioArch, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Rowan K. Flad
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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20
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Abstract
During the Early Bronze Age, populations of the western Eurasian steppe expanded across an immense area of northern Eurasia. Combined archaeological and genetic evidence supports widespread Early Bronze Age population movements out of the Pontic-Caspian steppe that resulted in gene flow across vast distances, linking populations of Yamnaya pastoralists in Scandinavia with pastoral populations (known as the Afanasievo) far to the east in the Altai Mountains1,2 and Mongolia3. Although some models hold that this expansion was the outcome of a newly mobile pastoral economy characterized by horse traction, bulk wagon transport4-6 and regular dietary dependence on meat and milk5, hard evidence for these economic features has not been found. Here we draw on proteomic analysis of dental calculus from individuals from the western Eurasian steppe to demonstrate a major transition in dairying at the start of the Bronze Age. The rapid onset of ubiquitous dairying at a point in time when steppe populations are known to have begun dispersing offers critical insight into a key catalyst of steppe mobility. The identification of horse milk proteins also indicates horse domestication by the Early Bronze Age, which provides support for its role in steppe dispersals. Our results point to a potential epicentre for horse domestication in the Pontic-Caspian steppe by the third millennium BC, and offer strong support for the notion that the novel exploitation of secondary animal products was a key driver of the expansions of Eurasian steppe pastoralists by the Early Bronze Age.
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21
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Colonese AC, Winter R, Brandi R, Fossile T, Fernandes R, Soncin S, McGrath K, Von Tersch M, Bandeira AM. Stable isotope evidence for dietary diversification in the pre-Columbian Amazon. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16560. [PMID: 33024191 PMCID: PMC7539003 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73540-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaeological research is radically transforming the view that the Amazon basin and surrounding areas witnessed limited societal development before European contact. Nevertheless, uncertainty remains on the nature of the subsistence systems and the role that aquatic resources, terrestrial mammalian game, and plants had in supporting population growth, geographic dispersal, cultural adaptations and political complexity during the later stages of the pre-Columbian era. This is exacerbated by the general paucity of archaeological human remains enabling individual dietary reconstructions. Here we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bone collagen to reconstruct the diets of human individuals from São Luís Island (Brazilian Amazon coast) dated between ca. 1800 and 1000 cal BP and associated with distinct ceramic traditions. We expanded our analysis to include previously published data from Maracá and Marajó Island, in the eastern Amazon. Quantitative estimates of the caloric contributions from food groups and their relative nutrients using a Bayesian Mixing Model revealed distinct subsistence strategies, consisting predominantly of plants and terrestrial mammals and variably complemented with aquatic resources. This study offers novel quantitative information on the extent distinct food categories of polyculture agroforestry systems fulfilled the caloric and protein requirements of Late Holocene pre-Columbian populations in the Amazon basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Carlo Colonese
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK. .,Department of Prehistory, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Rachel Winter
- Groningen Institute of Archaeology, University of Groningen, Poststraat 6, 9712 ER, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rafael Brandi
- Instituto Ambiente Humano (IAH), Av. Germano Moreira, 457, Castelo, Batatais, CP 520, São Paulo, CEP 14300-218, Brazil
| | - Thiago Fossile
- Department of Prehistory, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Ricardo Fernandes
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745, Jena, Germany.,School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK.,Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Arne Nováka 1, 60200, Brno-střed, Czech Republic
| | - Silvia Soncin
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Krista McGrath
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.,Department of Prehistory, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Matthew Von Tersch
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Arkley Marques Bandeira
- Programa de Pós-graduação Em Cultura E Sociedade, Programa de Pós-graduação Em Desenvolvimento E Meio Ambiente de Ecossistemas Costeiros e, Departamento de Oceanografia E Limnologia, Universidade Federal Do Maranhão, Av. dos Portugueses, 1966 Bacanga, São Luís, CEP 65080-805, Brazil
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22
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Leckie RL, Lehman DE, Gianaros PJ, Erickson KI, Sereika SM, Kuan DCH, Manuck SB, Ryan CM, Yao JK, Muldoon MF. The effects of omega-3 fatty acids on neuropsychological functioning and brain morphology in mid-life adults: a randomized clinical trial. Psychol Med 2020; 50:2425-2434. [PMID: 31581959 PMCID: PMC8109262 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719002617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diet of most adults is low in fish and, therefore, provides limited quantities of the long-chain, omega-3 fatty acids (LCn-3FAs), eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA, DHA). Since these compounds serve important roles in the brain, we sought to determine if healthy adults with low-LCn-3FA consumption would exhibit improvements in neuropsychological performance and parallel changes in brain morphology following repletion through fish oil supplementation. METHODS In a randomized, controlled trial, 271 mid-life adults (30-54 years of age, 118 men, 153 women) consuming ⩽300 mg/day of LCn-3FAs received 18 weeks of supplementation with fish oil capsules (1400 mg/day of EPA and DHA) or matching placebo. All participants completed a neuropsychological test battery examining four cognitive domains: psychomotor speed, executive function, learning/episodic memory, and fluid intelligence. A subset of 122 underwent neuroimaging before and after supplementation to measure whole-brain and subcortical tissue volumes. RESULTS Capsule adherence was over 95%, participant blinding was verified, and red blood cell EPA and DHA levels increased as expected. Supplementation did not affect performance in any of the four cognitive domains. Exploratory analyses revealed that, compared to placebo, fish oil supplementation improved executive function in participants with low-baseline DHA levels. No changes were observed in any indicator of brain morphology. CONCLUSIONS In healthy mid-life adults reporting low-dietary intake, supplementation with LCn-3FAs in moderate dose for moderate duration did not affect neuropsychological performance or brain morphology. Whether salutary effects occur in individuals with particularly low-DHA exposure requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina L. Leckie
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David E. Lehman
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Peter J. Gianaros
- Psychology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kirk I. Erickson
- Psychology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Dora C. H. Kuan
- Psychology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Stephen B. Manuck
- Psychology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey K. Yao
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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23
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Harris AJT, Duggan AT, Marciniak S, Marshall I, Fuller BT, Southon J, Poinar HN, Grimes V. Dorset Pre-Inuit and Beothuk foodways in Newfoundland, ca. AD 500-1829. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210187. [PMID: 30615665 PMCID: PMC6322756 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaeological research on the Canadian island of Newfoundland increasingly demonstrates that the island's subarctic climate and paucity of terrestrial food resources did not restrict past Pre-Inuit (Dorset) and Native American (Beothuk) hunter-gatherer populations to a single subsistence pattern. This study first sought to characterize hunter-gatherer diets over the past 1500 years; and second, to assess the impact of European colonization on Beothuk lifeways by comparing the bone chemistry of Beothuk skeletal remains before and after the intensification of European settlement in the early 18th century. We employed radiocarbon dating and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio analysis of bulk bone collagen from both Dorset (n = 9) and Beothuk (n = 13) cultures, including a naturally mummified 17th century Beothuk individual. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of 108 faunal samples from Dorset and Beothuk archaeological sites around the island were used as a dietary baseline for the humans. We combined our results with previously published isotope data and radiocarbon dates from Dorset (n = 12) and Beothuk (n = 18) individuals and conducted a palaeodietary analysis using Bayesian modelling, cluster analysis and comparative statistical tests. Dorset diets featured more marine protein than those of the Beothuk, and the diets of Beothuk after the 18th century featured less high trophic level marine protein than those of individuals predating the 18th century. Despite inhabiting the same island, Dorset and Beothuk cultures employed markedly different dietary strategies, consistent with interpretations of other archaeological data. Significantly, European colonization had a profound effect on Beothuk lifeways, as in response to the increasing European presence on the coast, the Beothuk relied more extensively on the limited resources of the island's boreal forests and rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison J. T. Harris
- Department of Archaeology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Ana T. Duggan
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephanie Marciniak
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ingeborg Marshall
- Institute of Social and Economic Research, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Benjamin T. Fuller
- Keck Carbon Cycle Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Earth Systems Science Department, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - John Southon
- Keck Carbon Cycle Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Earth Systems Science Department, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Hendrik N. Poinar
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Michael D. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Humans & the Microbiome Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vaughan Grimes
- Department of Archaeology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
- Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
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24
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Abstract
Null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) is the most common statistical framework used by scientists, including archaeologists. Owing to increasing dissatisfaction, however, Bayesian inference has become an alternative to these methods. In this article, we review the application of Bayesian statistics to archaeology. We begin with a simple example to demonstrate the differences in applying NHST and Bayesian inference to an archaeological problem. Next, we formally define NHST and Bayesian inference, provide a brief historical overview of their development, and discuss the advantages and limitations of each method. A review of Bayesian inference and archaeology follows, highlighting the applications of Bayesian methods to chronological, bioarchaeological, zooarchaeological, ceramic, lithic, and spatial analyses. We close by considering the future applications of Bayesian statistics to archaeological research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melissa G. Torquato
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA;,
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25
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Münster A, Knipper C, Oelze VM, Nicklisch N, Stecher M, Schlenker B, Ganslmeier R, Fragata M, Friederich S, Dresely V, Hubensack V, Brandt G, Döhle HJ, Vach W, Schwarz R, Metzner-Nebelsick C, Meller H, Alt KW. 4000 years of human dietary evolution in central Germany, from the first farmers to the first elites. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194862. [PMID: 29584767 PMCID: PMC5870995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigation of human diet during the Neolithic has often been limited to a few archaeological cultures or single sites. In order to provide insight into the development of human food consumption and husbandry strategies, our study explores bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data from 466 human and 105 faunal individuals from 26 sites in central Germany. It is the most extensive data set to date from an enclosed geographic microregion, covering 4,000 years of agricultural history from the Early Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. The animal data show that a variety of pastures and dietary resources were explored, but that these changed remarkably little over time. In the human δ15N however we found a significant increase with time across the different archaeological cultures. This trend could be observed in all time periods and archaeological cultures (Bell Beaker phenomenon excluded), even on continuously populated sites. Since there was no such trend in faunal isotope values, we were able largely to exclude manuring as the cause of this effect. Based on the rich interdisciplinary data from this region and archaeological period we can argue that meat consumption increased with the increasing duration of farming subsistence. In δ13C, we could not observe any clear increasing or decreasing trends during the archaeological time periods, either for humans or for animals, which would have suggested significant changes in the environment and landscape use. We discovered sex-related dietary differences, with males of all archaeological periods having higher δ15N values than females, and an age-related increasing consumption of animal protein. An initial decrease of δ15N-values at the age of 1–2 years reveals partial weaning, while complete weaning took place at the age of 3–4 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina Münster
- Institute of Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- * E-mail: (AM); (KWA)
| | - Corina Knipper
- Curt-Engelhorn-Centre for Archaeometry gGmbH, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Vicky M. Oelze
- Anthropology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Nicole Nicklisch
- Center of Natural and Cultural History of Man, Danube Private University (DPU), Krems-Stein, Austria
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Marcus Stecher
- Institute of Anthropology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Björn Schlenker
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Robert Ganslmeier
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | | | - Susanne Friederich
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Veit Dresely
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Vera Hubensack
- State Office for Heritage Management, Saxony, Dresden, Germany
| | - Guido Brandt
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Hans-Jürgen Döhle
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Werner Vach
- Clinical Epidemiology Group, Center for Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Schwarz
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Carola Metzner-Nebelsick
- Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology and Provincial Roman Archaeology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Harald Meller
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Kurt W. Alt
- Center of Natural and Cultural History of Man, Danube Private University (DPU), Krems-Stein, Austria
- State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology, Saxony-Anhalt/State Museum of Prehistory, Halle/Saale, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science, Basel University, Basel, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (AM); (KWA)
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26
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Roberts P, Fernandes R, Craig OE, Larsen T, Lucquin A, Swift J, Zech J. Calling all archaeologists: guidelines for terminology, methodology, data handling, and reporting when undertaking and reviewing stable isotope applications in archaeology. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:361-372. [PMID: 29235694 PMCID: PMC5838555 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 11/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Stable isotope analysis has been utilized in archaeology since the 1970s, yet standardized protocols for terminology, sampling, pretreatment evaluation, calibration, quality assurance and control, data presentation, and graphical or statistical treatment still remain lacking in archaeological applications. Here, we present recommendations and requirements for each of these in the archaeological context of: bulk stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of organics; bulk stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of carbonates; single compound stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis on amino acids in collagen and keratin; and single compound stable carbon and hydrogen isotope analysis on fatty acids. The protocols are based on recommendations from the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) as well as an expanding geochemical and archaeological science experimental literature. We hope that this will provide a useful future reference for authors and reviewers engaging with the growing number of stable isotope applications and datasets in archaeology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Roberts
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human HistoryKahlaische Str. 10D‐07745JenaGermany
| | - Ricardo Fernandes
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human HistoryKahlaische Str. 10D‐07745JenaGermany
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological ResearchDowning StCambridgeCB2 3ERUK
| | | | - Thomas Larsen
- Leibniz‐Laboratory for Isotope ResearchChristian‐Albrechts‐UniversitätD‐24118KielGermany
| | | | - Jillian Swift
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human HistoryKahlaische Str. 10D‐07745JenaGermany
| | - Jana Zech
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human HistoryKahlaische Str. 10D‐07745JenaGermany
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27
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Brinkkemper O, Braadbaart F, van Os B, van Hoesel A, van Brussel AAN, Fernandes R. Effectiveness of different pre-treatments in recovering pre-burial isotopic ratios of charred plants. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:251-261. [PMID: 29134706 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Isotopic analysis of archaeological charred plant remains offers useful archaeological information. However, adequate sample pre-treatment protocols may be necessary to provide a contamination-free isotopic signal while limiting sample loss and achieving a high throughput. Under these constraints, research was undertaken to compare the performance of different pre-treatment protocols. METHODS Charred archaeological plant material was selected for isotopic analysis (δ13 C and δ15 N values) by isotope ratio mass spectrometry from a variety of plant species, time periods and soil conditions. Preservation conditions and the effectiveness of cleaning protocols were assessed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. An acid-base-acid protocol, successfully employed in radiocarbon dating, was used to define a contamination-free isotopic reference. Acid-base-acid isotopic measurements were compared with those obtained from untreated material and an acid-only protocol. RESULTS The isotopic signals of untreated material and the acid-only protocol typically did not differ more than 1‰ from those of the acid-base-acid reference. There were no significant isotopic offsets between acid-base-acid and acid-only or untreated samples. Sample losses in the acid-base-acid protocol were on average 50 ± 17% (maximum = 98.4%). Elemental XRF measurements showed promising results in the detection of more contaminated samples albeit with a high rate of false positives. CONCLUSIONS For the large range of preservation conditions described in the study, untreated charred plant samples, water cleaned of sediments, provide reliable stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen. The use of pre-treatments may be necessary under different preservation conditions or more conservative measurement uncertainties should be reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Brinkkemper
- Cultural Heritage Agency, PO Box 1600, 3800, BP, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
| | - F Braadbaart
- Department of Earth Sciences-Geochemistry, Utrecht University, PO Box 80021, 3058, TA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - B van Os
- Cultural Heritage Agency, PO Box 1600, 3800, BP, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
| | - A van Hoesel
- Cultural Heritage Agency, PO Box 1600, 3800, BP, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
| | - A A N van Brussel
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology (Sylvius Laboratories), Leiden University, PO Box 9502, 2300, RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - R Fernandes
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07745, Jena, Germany
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research (University of Cambridge), Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3ER, UK
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28
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Wilhelmson H. Shifting diet, shifting culture? A bioarchaeological approach to island dietary development on Iron-Age Öland, Baltic Sea. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 163:264-284. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Helene Wilhelmson
- Department of Archaeology and Ancient History; Lund University; Pb 192 Lund 221 00-SE Sweden
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29
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Multidimensional metrics of niche space for use with diverse analytical techniques. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41599. [PMID: 28145524 PMCID: PMC5286414 DOI: 10.1038/srep41599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidimensional data are integral to many community-ecological studies and come in various forms, such as stable isotopes, compound specific analyses (e.g., amino acids and fatty acids), and both biodiversity and life history traits. Scientists employing such data often lack standardized metrics to evaluate communities in niche space where more than 2 dimensions are involved. To alleviate this problem, we developed a graphing and analytical approach for use with more than two variables, based on previously established stable isotope bi-plot metrics. We introduce here our community metrics as R scripts. By extending the original metrics to multiple dimensions, we created n-dimensional plots and metrics to characterize any set of quantitative measurements of a community. We demonstrate the utility of these metrics using stable isotope data; however, the approaches are applicable to many types of data. The resulting metrics provide more and better information compared to traditional analytic frameworks. The approach can be applied in many branches of community ecology, and it offers accessible metrics to quantitatively analyze the structure of communities across ecosystems and through time.
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30
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31
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Juras A, Chyleński M, Krenz-Niedbała M, Malmström H, Ehler E, Pospieszny Ł, Łukasik S, Bednarczyk J, Piontek J, Jakobsson M, Dabert M. Investigating kinship of Neolithic post-LBK human remains from Krusza Zamkowa, Poland using ancient DNA. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2016; 26:30-39. [PMID: 27771467 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Revised: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We applied an interdisciplinary approach to investigate kinship patterns and funerary practices during the middle Neolithic. Genetic studies, radiocarbon dating, and taphonomic analyses were used to examine two grave clusters from Krusza Zamkowa, Poland. To reconstruct kinship and determine biological sex, we extracted DNA from bones and teeth, analyzed mitochondrial genomes and nuclear SNPs using the HID-Ion AmpliSeq™ Identity panel generated on Illumina and Ion Torrent platforms, respectively. We further dated the material (AMS 14C) and to exclude aquatic radiocarbon reservoir effects, measures of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes for diet reconstruction were used. We found distinct mitochondrial genomes belonging to haplogroups U5b2a1a, K1c and H3d in the first grave cluster, and excluded maternal kin patterns among the three analyzed individuals. In the second grave cluster one individual belonged to K1a4. However, we could not affiliate the second individual to a certain haplogroup due to the fragmented state of the mitochondrial genome. Although the individuals from the second grave cluster differ at position 6643, we believe that more data is needed to fully resolve this issue. We retrieved between 26 and 77 autosomal SNPs from three of the individuals. Based on kinship estimations, taking into account the allelic dropout distribution, we could not exclude first degree kin relation between the two individuals from the second grave cluster. We could, however, exclude a first degree kinship between these two individuals and an individual from the first grave cluster. Presumably, not only biological kinship, but also social relations played an important role in the funerary practice during this time period. We further conclude that the HID-Ion AmpliSeq™ Identity Panel may prove useful for first degree kin relation studies for samples with good DNA preservation, and that mitochondrial genome capture enrichment is a powerful tool for excluding direct maternal relationship in ancient individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Juras
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Maciej Chyleński
- Institute of Prehistory, Faculty of History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89D, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Marta Krenz-Niedbała
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Helena Malmström
- Department of Organismal Biology and SciLifeLab, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Edvard Ehler
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Łukasz Pospieszny
- Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Rubiez 46, 61-612 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Sylwia Łukasik
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Józef Bednarczyk
- Institute of Prehistory, Faculty of History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89D, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Janusz Piontek
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Mattias Jakobsson
- Department of Organismal Biology and SciLifeLab, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18C, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Miroslawa Dabert
- Molecular Biology Techniques Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
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