Socioeconomic differences in diet: An isotopic examination of post‐Medieval Chichester, West Sussex

North and South: Exploring isotopic analysis of bone carbonates and collagen to understand post-medieval diets in London and northern England

OBJECTIVES

We evaluate the potential of paired isotopic analysis of bone carbonate and collagen to examine the diet of post-medieval human and animal populations from England (17th-19th c.), including, for the first time, manufacturing towns in northern England. The potential for identifying C4 crop consumption is explored alongside regional and local patterning in diet by sex and socioeconomic status.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Humans (n = 216) and animals (n = 168) were analyzed from sites in London and northern England for both carbon and nitrogen isotopes of bone collagen (𝛿13 Ccoll , 𝛿15 Ncoll ). Isotopic analysis of bone carbonates (𝛿13 Ccarb , 𝛿18 Ocarb ) was carried out on all humans and 27 animals, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance to assess diagenesis.

RESULTS

Variations in diet were observed between and within different populations by geographical location and socioeconomic status. Three pigs and one cow consumed C4 resources, indicating the availability of C4 -fed animal protein. Londoners consumed more animal and marine protein and C4 resources. Middle- and upper-class populations from both London and northern populations also had greater access to these foods compared to those of lower status in the same regions.

DISCUSSION

This substantial multi-isotope dataset deriving from bone carbonate and collagen combined from diverse post-medieval urban communities enabled, for the first time, the biomolecular identification of the dynamics of C4 consumption (cane sugar/maize) in England, providing insight into the dynamics of food globalization during this period. We also add substantially to the animal dataset for post-medieval England, providing further insight into animal management during a key moment of agricultural change.

The expendables: Bioarchaeological evidence for pauper apprentices in 19th century England and the health consequences of child labour

Child labour is the most common form of child abuse in the world today, with almost half of child workers employed in hazardous industries. The large-scale employment of children during the rapid industrialisation of the late 18th and early 19th centuries in England is well documented. During this period, the removal of pauper children from workhouses in cities to work as apprentices in rural mills in the North of England was commonplace. Whilst the experiences of some of these children have been recorded historically, this study provides the first direct evidence of their lives through bioarchaeological analysis. The excavation of a rural churchyard cemetery in the village of Fewston, North Yorkshire, yielded the skeletal remains of 154 individuals, including an unusually large proportion of children aged between 8 to 20 years. A multi-method approach was undertaken, including osteological and palaeopathological examination, stable isotope and amelogenin peptide analysis. The bioarchaeological results were integrated with historical data regarding a local textile mill in operation during the 18th-19th centuries. The results for the children were compared to those obtained from contemporaneous individuals of known identity (from coffin plates) of comparable date. Most of the children exhibited distinctive 'non-local' isotope signatures and a diet low in animal protein when compared to the named local individuals. These children also showed severe growth delays and pathological lesions indicative of early life adversity, as well as respiratory disease, which is a known occupational hazard of mill work. This study has provided unique insights into the harrowing lives of these children; born into poverty and forced to work long hours in dangerous conditions. This analysis provides a stark testimony of the impacts of industrial labour on the health, growth and mortality risk of children, with implications for the present as well as our understanding of the past.

Diversity aboard a Tudor warship: investigating the origins of the Mary Rose crew using multi-isotope analysis

The great Tudor warship, the Mary Rose, which sank tragically in the Solent in 1545 AD, presents a rare archaeological opportunity to research individuals for whom the precise timing and nature of death are known. A long-standing question surrounds the composition of the Tudor navy and whether the crew were largely British or had more diverse origins. This study takes a multi-isotope approach, combining strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr), oxygen (δ¹⁸O), sulfur (δ³⁴S), carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope analysis of dental samples to reconstruct the childhood diet and origins of eight of the Mary Rose crew. Forensic ancestry estimation was also employed on a subsample. Provenancing isotope data tentatively suggests as many as three of the crew may have originated from warmer, more southerly climates than Britain. Five have isotope values indicative of childhoods spent in western Britain, one of which had cranial morphology suggestive of African ancestry. The general trend of relatively high δ¹⁵N and low δ¹³C values suggests a broadly comparable diet to contemporaneous British and European communities. This multi-isotope approach and the nature of the archaeological context has allowed the reconstruction of the biographies of eight Tudor individuals to a higher resolution than is usually possible.

Dietary changes across time: Studying the indigenous period of La Gomera using δ13 C and δ15 N stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating

OBJECTIVES

This article presents new radiocarbon and isotopic data to provide further information about the diet of the indigenous population of La Gomera and its possible changes across time.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

δ¹³ C and δ¹⁵ N of 53 human and 19 faunal samples from different sites on the island have been obtained and analyzed. Of these, 52 have been radiocarbon dated to provide insight on chronological changes.

RESULTS

Human dates range from the 3rd to 15th centuries AD, while faunal dates range from the 1st to 17th centuries AD. Stable carbon and nitrogen values are significantly different between the human and goat samples and have also a trophic increase of 3.4‰. Although male and female δ¹⁵ N data are not significantly different. Both δ¹³ C and δ¹⁵ N values of both human and animal samples tend to discretely decrease over time.

DISCUSSION

Radiocarbon dates from humans correlate with other dates obtained in the rest of the archipelago. Animal radiocarbon dates generally coincide except for one date, which requires further study. Isotopic δ¹⁵ N data suggest a mix of marine and terrestrial protein consumption in humans, the latter being more abundant given the seasonality of the first. δ¹³ C data also suggest a possible mixed diet in humans, with a predominance of C₃ plants, like Hordeum vulgare, the only grain found in archaeological sites so far. Variations of both δ¹³ C and δ¹⁵ N over time suggest a slight modification on the diet, which could be related to environmental changes.

Socioeconomic and geographic implications from carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios in human hair from Mexico

This article presents data on carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) isotopic composition of human hair collected throughout Mexico. The recorded values ranged from -18.3‰ to -12.8‰ for δ¹³C, 6.8‰ to 10.8‰ for δ¹⁵N and from 2.7‰ to 8.0‰ for δ³⁴S. The socioeconomic covariates explored in this study showed, in part strong correlations with the recorded isotope values. Furthermore, these three isotope systems provide records of the dietary preferences and practices and also showed some spatial variation. This study detected geospatial patterning in the δ¹³C values of hair samples from Mexico as well as significant correlations with socioeconomic factors. No geospatial variation was detected in the δ¹⁵N and δ³⁴S values, however, socioeconomic correlations were found. A δ¹³C isoscape was generated using a GIS approach, which provides a tool to narrow down region-of-origin predictions (in combination with other isotope systems) and to document the travel history of unidentified individuals.