Dietary patterns and social structures in medieval Sigtuna, Sweden, as reflected in stable isotope values in human skeletal remains

AbstractRecent research has identified the existence of a freshwater reservoir effect influencing the radiocarbon dating of human skeletal remains from the Dnieper region of Ukraine (Lillie et al. 2009). The current study outlines the evidence for freshwater resource exploitation throughout the period ~10,200–3700 cal BC, and presents the available evidence for the existence of dietary offsets in the 14C dates obtained. We have obtained human skeletal material from 54 Epipaleolithic to Mesolithic period individuals and 267 Neolithic to Eneolithic individuals, from 13 cemeteries, since our research in Ukraine began in 1992. Here, we present the initial results of stable isotope analysis of Eneolithic individuals from the Igren VIII cemetery alongside the Epipaleolithic to Eneolithic samples that have previously been analyzed. When contrasted against the evidence from the prehistoric fauna and fish remains studied, and modern fish species from the Dnieper region, we continue to see variability in diets at the population level, both internally and across cemeteries. We also observed temporal variability in human diets across these chronological periods. The fish samples (both archaeological and modern) show a wide range of isotope ratios for both δ13C and δ15N, which could prove significant when interpreting the dietary sources being exploited. This information directly informs the 14C dating program as an inherent degree of complexity is introduced into the dating of individuals whose diets combine freshwater and terrestrial sources in differing quantities and at differing temporal and/or spatial scales (e.g. Bronk Ramsey et al. 2014).

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Human Biology in Ancient Complex Societies

Bones of Complexity ◽

10.5744/florida/9780813062235.003.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Haagen D. Klaus ◽

Amanda R. Harvey ◽

Mark N. Cohen

Keyword(s):

Human Behavior ◽

Social Complexity ◽

Skeletal Remains ◽

Social Structures ◽

Human Biology ◽

Complex Societies ◽

Human Skeletal Remains ◽

Mortuary Archaeology ◽

Topical Area

This introductory chapter examines previous archaeological thinking regarding the origins, scales, forms of evidence, and nature of social complexity in the human past. As a relative newcomer to this topical area, bioarchaeological approaches are shown to bring unique theoretical and empirical perspectives on these issues. Unique strengths of the bioarchaeological approach include compelling ways of looking at power, hierarchy, and heterarchy, the embodiment of social realities into human behavior and biology, and avenues to bridge long-standing divides between mortuary archaeology and bioarchaeology. The authors also discuss a number of challenges in the bioarchaeology of social complexity, including how best to grapple with typological thinking and interpretation of social structures from human skeletal remains. The chapter closes with a preview summary of the following chapters in the volume.

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Role of stable isotope analyses in reconstructing past life-histories and the provenancing human skeletal remains: a review

Anthropological Review ◽

10.1515/anre-2017-0017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 80 (3) ◽

pp. 243-258 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jagmahender Singh Sehrawat ◽

Jaspreet Kaur

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

Skeletal Remains ◽

Human Populations ◽

Human Skeletal Remains ◽

The Past ◽

Migration History ◽

Chemical Signatures ◽

Geographic Origins ◽

Past Life

AbstractThis article reviews the present scenario of use of stable isotopes (mainly δ13C, δ15N, δ18O,87Sr) to trace past life behaviours like breast feeding and weaning practices, the geographic origin, migration history, paleodiet and subsistence patterns of past populations from the chemical signatures of isotopes imprinted in human skeletal remains. This approach is based on the state that food-web isotopic signatures are seen in the human bones and teeth and such signatures can change parallely with a variety of biogeochemical processes. By measuring δ13C and δ15N isotopic values of subadult tissues of different ages, the level of breast milk ingestion at particular ages and the components of the complementary foods can be assessed. Strontium and oxygen isotopic analyses have been used for determining the geographic origins and reconstructing the way of life of past populations as these isotopes can map the isotopic outline of the area from where the person acquired water and food during initial lifetime. The isotopic values of strontium and oxygen values are considered specific to geographical areas and serve as reliable chemical signatures of migration history of past human populations (local or non-local to the site). Previous isotopic studies show that the subsistence patterns of the past human populations underwent extensive changes from nomadic to complete agricultural dependence strategies. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of local fauna of any archaeological site can be used to elucidate the prominence of freshwater resources in the diet of the past human populations found near the site. More extensive research covering isotopic descriptions of various prehistoric, historic and modern populations is needed to explore the role of stable isotope analysis for provenancing human skeletal remains and assessing human migration patterns/routes, geographic origins, paleodiet and subsistence practices of past populations.

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Stable Isotope Analysis on Human Skeletal Remains from the Edo-period Fushimi Castle Site in Japan

Anthropological Science (Japanese Series) ◽

10.1537/asj.119.9 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 119 (1) ◽

pp. 9-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Soichiro Kusaka ◽

Takeyuki Ikarashi ◽

Fujio Hyodo ◽

Shiori Fujisawa ◽

Kazumichi Katayama

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

Stable Isotope Analysis ◽

Isotope Analysis ◽

Skeletal Remains ◽

Edo Period ◽

Human Skeletal Remains

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Bioarchaeological Analysis of the Human Skeletal Remains from the Late Antique Kuća Andrić and Hrvojeva Ulica Sites in Split

Arheološki radovi i rasprave = Acta et dissertationes archaeologicae ◽

10.21857/y54jofk87m ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 261-284

Author(s):

Vlasta Vyroubal ◽

Željka Bedić

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Remains ◽

Late Antique ◽

Human Skeletal Remains

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Comparison of Two Methods for Isolating DNA from Human Skeletal Remains for STR Analysis

Journal of Forensic Sciences ◽

10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.02012.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 57 (3) ◽

pp. 706-712 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Cynthia Rucinski ◽

Ayda L. Malaver ◽

Emilio J. Yunis ◽

Juan J. Yunis

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Remains ◽

Human Skeletal Remains ◽

Str Analysis

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The elusive parasite: comparing macroscopic, immunological, and genomic approaches to identifying malaria in human skeletal remains from Sayala, Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD)

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences ◽

10.1007/s12520-021-01350-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

Author(s):

Alvie Loufouma Mbouaka ◽

Michelle Gamble ◽

Christina Wurst ◽

Heidi Yoko Jäger ◽

Frank Maixner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Tests ◽

Sample Selection ◽

Human Remains ◽

Rapid Diagnostic Tests ◽

Skeletal Remains ◽

Pathological Changes ◽

Human Skeletal Remains ◽

The Past ◽

A Site ◽

Capture Sequencing

AbstractAlthough malaria is one of the oldest and most widely distributed diseases affecting humans, identifying and characterizing its presence in ancient human remains continue to challenge researchers. We attempted to establish a reliable approach to detecting malaria in human skeletons using multiple avenues of analysis: macroscopic observations, rapid diagnostic tests, and shotgun-capture sequencing techniques, to identify pathological changes, Plasmodium antigens, and Plasmodium DNA, respectively. Bone and tooth samples from ten individuals who displayed skeletal lesions associated with anaemia, from a site in southern Egypt (third to sixth centuries AD), were selected. Plasmodium antigens were detected in five of the ten bone samples, and traces of Plasmodium aDNA were detected in six of the twenty bone and tooth samples. There was relatively good synchronicity between the biomolecular findings, despite not being able to authenticate the results. This study highlights the complexity and limitations in the conclusive identification of the Plasmodium parasite in ancient human skeletons. Limitations regarding antigen and aDNA preservation and the importance of sample selection are at the forefront of the search for malaria in the past. We confirm that, currently, palaeopathological changes such as cribra orbitalia are not enough to be certain of the presence of malaria. While biomolecular methods are likely the best chance for conclusive identification, we were unable to obtain results which correspond to the current authentication criteria of biomolecules. This study represents an important contribution in the refinement of biomolecular techniques used; also, it raises new insight regarding the consistency of combining several approaches in the identification of malaria in past populations.

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Profiling of human burned bones: oxidising versus reducing conditions

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-80462-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

M. P. M. Marques ◽

D. Gonçalves ◽

A. P. Mamede ◽

T. Coutinho ◽

E. Cunha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inelastic Neutron Scattering ◽

Inelastic Neutron ◽

Skeletal Remains ◽

Anaerobic Conditions ◽

Human Skeletal Remains ◽

Human Bones ◽

Reducing Conditions ◽

Wide Range ◽

Burned Bones ◽

Vibrational Bands

AbstractComplementary optical and neutron-based vibrational spectroscopy techniques (Infrared, Raman and inelastic neutron scattering) were applied to the study of human bones (femur and humerus) burned simultaneously under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions, in a wide range of temperatures (400 to 1000 °C). This is the first INS study of human skeletal remains heated in an oxygen-deprived atmosphere. Clear differences were observed between both types of samples, namely the absence of hydroxyapatite’s OH vibrational bands in bone burned anaerobically (in unsealed containers), coupled to the presence of cyanamide (NCNH2) and portlandite (Ca(OH)2) in these reductive conditions. These results are expected to allow a better understanding of the heat effect on bone´s constituents in distinct environmental settings, thus contributing for an accurate characterisation of both forensic and archaeological human skeletal remains found in distinct scenarios regarding oxygen availability.

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