Diet and status in Birka: stable isotopes and grave goods compared

Antiquity ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (316) ◽  
pp. 446-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Linderholm ◽  
Charlotte Hedenstierna Jonson ◽  
Olle Svensk ◽  
Kerstin Lidén
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
The Status ◽  
Viking Period ◽  
Grave Goods

In this paper the authors investigate isotopic signatures of burials from the famous Viking period cemetery at Birka in Sweden, comparing their results on diet with the status and identities of individuals as interpreted from grave goods. These first observations offer a number of promising correlations, for example the shared diet of a group of women associated with trade, and a marine emphasis among men buried with weapons.

The Role of Women in Plant-based Textile Production during the Viking Diaspora in Scotland and the Irish Sea Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-358
Author(s):  
Susan Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Irish Sea ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Textile Production ◽  
The Status ◽  
Role Of Women ◽  
The Irish Sea ◽  
Grave Goods

Evidence for textiles in viking-age Scotland and the adjacent Irish Sea region derives from small fragments usually surviving as mineralised products associated with metal dress fittings and grave goods such as shield bosses and weaving battens, excavated from the furnished graves of both women and men. Since Scottish viking-age textiles were last reviewed over twenty years ago, this paper collates information from antiquarian finds and more recent excavations which employed considerably enhanced techniques for retrieving fragile archaeological textiles. Evidence is presented for the occurrence and role of plant-based textiles derived from flax and hemp including linen in funerary processes as burial garments, shrouds and wrapping other grave goods, such as weapons and tools. Many richly appointed women's graves in viking-age Scotland were accompanied by tool assemblages used in the manufacture and maintenance of textiles. The presence of these tools raises questions about the status of textile production and the roles women played in it.

scholarly journals Estimating the Isotopic Altitude Gradient for Hydrogeological Studies in Mountainous Areas: Are the Low-Yield Springs Suitable? Insights from the Northern Apennines of Italy

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tazioli ◽  
Cervi ◽  
Doveri ◽  
Mussi ◽  
Deiana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Precipitation Regime ◽  
Altitude Effect ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Stable Isotopic ◽  
Windward Slope ◽  
Hydrogeological Studies ◽  
Stable Isotopes Of Water

Several prior studies investigated the use of stable isotopes of water in hydrogeological applications, most on a local scale and often involving the isotopic gradient (evaluated by exploiting the so-called altitude effect), calculated on the basis of rainwater isotopes. A few times, this gradient has been obtained using the stable isotopic contents of low-yield springs in a limited time series. Despite the fact that this method has been recognized by the hydrogeological community, marked differences have been observed with respect to the mean stable isotopes content of groundwater and rainwater. The present investigation compares the stable isotopic signatures of 23 low-yield springs discharging along two transects from the Tyrrhenian sea to the Po Plain of Italy, evaluates the different isotopic gradients and assesses their distribution in relation to some climatic and topographic conditions. Stable isotopes of water show that groundwater in the study area is recharged by precipitation and that the precipitation regime in the eastern portion of the study area is strongly controlled by a shadow effect caused by the Alps chain on the air masses from central Europe. Stable isotopes (in particular the δ18O and deuterium excess (d-excess) contents together with the obtained isotopic gradients) allow us to identify in the study area an opposite oriented orographic effect and a different provenance of the air masses. When the windward slope is located on the Tyrrhenian side, the precipitation shows a predominant oceanic origin; when the windward slope moves to the Adriatic side, the precipitation is characterized by a continental origin. The main results of this study confirm the usefulness of low-yield springs and the need for a highly detailed survey-scale hydrological investigation in the mountainous context.

scholarly journals Regional Isotopic Signatures of Groundwater in Croatia

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Željka Brkić ◽  
Mladen Kuhta ◽  
Tamara Hunjak ◽  
Ozren Larva
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Groundwater Age ◽  
Dinaric Karst ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Carbonate Aquifers ◽  
Groundwater Samples ◽  
Tracer Methods ◽  
Recharge Rates ◽  
Northern Croatia ◽  
Isotope Content

Tracer methods are useful for investigating groundwater travel times and recharge rates and analysing impacts on groundwater quality. The most frequently used tracers are stable isotopes and tritium. Stable isotopes of oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δ2H) are mainly used as indicators of the recharge condition. Tritium (3H) is used to estimate an approximate mean groundwater age. This paper presents the results of an analysis of stable isotope data and tritium activity in Croatian groundwater samples that were collected between 1997 and 2014 at approximately 100 sites. The composition of the stable isotopes of groundwater in Croatia originates from recent precipitation and is described using two regional groundwater lines. One of them is applied to groundwater accumulated in the aquifers in the Pannonian part of Croatia and the other is for groundwater accumulated in the Dinaric karst of Croatia. The isotope content shows that the studied groundwater is mainly modern water. A mix of sub-modern and modern water is mostly accumulated in semi-confined porous aquifers in northern Croatia, deep carbonate aquifers, and (sub)thermal springs.

Diet of the pulmonate gastropod Onchidella nigricans in the intertidal rocky shore, New Zealand

2009 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Alfaro
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Algal Species ◽  
Rocky Intertidal ◽  
Coralline Algae ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Bare Rock ◽  
Generalist Herbivore ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Isotopic Signatures

AbstractGut content analyses and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) were used to investigate the food consumption and assimilation of the pulmonate, Onchidella nigricans, within a rocky intertidal platform at Waiwera, northern New Zealand. Analyses of gut contents indicate that this species is a generalist herbivore, which may consume a variety of micro- and macro-algae, although small zooplankton may be ingested, when present. Gut contents of individuals collected from different intertidal habitats (bare rock, Hormosira banksii, green filaments, and coralline algae) reflected the dominant algal species within each habitat, suggesting that food availability does not restrict the grazer's distribution across its range. The radular morphology and small size of this gastropod also support the notion that O. nigricans is a non-selective microphagous feeder. However, stable isotopes on O. nigricans from the four habitats and the dominant algal food types indicate a strong assimilation preference for microalgae. The δ13C values (-15 to -13‰) of O. nigricans were consistent with signatures for intertidal grazers, but δ15N values (8 to 9‰) were relatively high, which may indicate the presence of bacteria and microfaunal detritus in the diet. Clusters of isotopic signatures of individuals from different habitats suggest feeding preferences, which also may be attributed to differences in detrital and bacterial consumption. This study illustrates the importance of using parallel techniques in diet studies.

scholarly journals An improved estimate for the <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C and <i>δ</i><sup>18</sup>O signatures of carbon monoxide produced from atmospheric oxidation of volatile organic compounds

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (13) ◽  
pp. 8547-8562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac J. Vimont ◽  
Jocelyn C. Turnbull ◽  
Vasilii V. Petrenko ◽  
Philip F. Place ◽  
Colm Sweeney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
South Carolina ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Direct Determination ◽  
Isotopic Signature ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Volatile Organic

Abstract. Atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) is a key player in global atmospheric chemistry and a regulated pollutant in urban areas. Oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is an important component of the global CO budget and has also been hypothesized to contribute substantially to the summertime urban CO budget. In principle, stable isotopic analysis of CO could constrain the magnitude of this source. However, the isotopic signature of VOC-produced CO has not been well quantified, especially for the oxygen isotopes. We performed measurements of CO stable isotopes on air samples from two sites around Indianapolis, US, over three summers to investigate the isotopic signature of VOC-produced CO. One of the sites is located upwind of the city, allowing us to quantitatively remove the background air signal and isolate the urban CO enhancements. as well as the isotopic signature of these enhancements. In addition, we use measurements of Δ14CO2 in combination with the CO:CO2 emission ratio from fossil fuels to constrain the fossil-fuel-derived CO and thereby isolate the VOC-derived component of the CO enhancement. Combining these measurements and analyses, we are able to determine the carbon and oxygen isotopic signatures of CO derived from VOC oxidation as -32.8‰±0.5‰ and 3.6 ‰±1.2 ‰, respectively. Additionally, we analyzed CO stable isotopes for 1 year at Beech Island, South Carolina, US, a site thought to have large VOC-derived contributions to the summertime CO budget. The Beech Island results are consistent with isotopic signatures of VOC-derived CO determined from the Indianapolis data. This study represents the first direct determination of the isotopic signatures of VOC-derived CO and will allow for improved use of isotopes in constraining the global and regional CO budgets.

scholarly journals Stable isotopes as ecological tracers: an efficient method for assessing the contribution of multiple sources to mixtures

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1351-1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. N. Bugalho ◽  
P. Barcia ◽  
M. C. Caldeira ◽  
J. O. Cerdeira
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Web Studies ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Riverine Habitat

Abstract. Stable isotopes are increasingly being used as tracers of ecological processes potentially providing relevant information to environmental management issues. An application of the methodology consists in relating the stable isotopic composition of a sample mixture to that of sources. The number of stable isotopes, however, is usually lower than that of potential sources existing in an ecosystem, which creates mathematical difficulties in correctly tracing sources. We discuss a linear programming model which efficiently derives information on the contribution of sources to mixtures for any number of stable isotopes and any number of sources by addressing multiple sources simultaneously. The model identifies which sources are present in all, present in a subset of the samples or absent from all samples simultaneously and calculates minimum and maximum values of each source in the mixtures. We illustrate the model using a data set consisting of the isotopic signatures of different plant sources ingested by primary consumers in tropical riverine habitat in Asia. The model discussed may contribute to extend the scope of stable isotopes methodology to a range of new problems dealing with multiple sources and multiple tracers. For instance, in food web studies, if particular organic matter sources disappear or decrease in availability (e.g. climate change scenarios) the model allows simulation of alternative diets of the consumers providing potentially relevant information for managers and decision makers.

Nitrate stable isotopes: tools for determining nitrate sources among different land uses in the Mississippi River Basin

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 1874-1885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecily C.Y Chang ◽  
Carol Kendall ◽  
Steven R Silva ◽  
William A Battaglin ◽  
Donald H Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
Large River ◽  
Mississippi River Basin ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Nitrate Sources ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Basin Scale

A study was conducted to determine whether NO3– stable isotopes (δ15N and δ18O), at natural abundance levels, could discriminate among NO3– sources from sites with different land uses at the basin scale. Water samples were collected from 24 sites in the Mississippi River Basin from five land-use categories: (1) large river basins (>34 590 km2) draining multiple land uses and smaller basins in which the predominant land use was (2) urban, (3) undeveloped, (4) crops, or (5) crops and livestock. Our data suggest that riverine nitrates from different land uses have overlapping but moderately distinct isotopic signatures. δ18O data were critical in showing abrupt changes in NO3– source with discharge. The isotopic values of large rivers resembled crop sites, sites with livestock tended to have δ15N values characteristic of manure, and urban sites tended to have high δ18O values characteristic of atmospheric nitrate.

Comparing naturally occurring stable isotopes of nitrogen, carbon, and strontium as markers for the rearing locations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian P Kennedy ◽  
C Page Chamberlain ◽  
Joel D Blum ◽  
Keith H Nislow ◽  
Carol L Folt
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Connecticut River ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar ◽  
Analysis Group ◽  
C Isotopes ◽  
Naturally Occurring

We compared the success of using naturally occurring stable isotopes of N, C, and Sr as markers for the rearing locations of juvenile salmon. We analyzed the isotopic signatures (δ15N and δ13C in muscle and scales and 87Sr/86Sr in otoliths) of >200 juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from 12 tributaries of the Connecticut River, USA. Young salmon had distinct N and C signatures 5 weeks after stocking. Signatures were stable over the summer although δ13C varied more than δ15N or 87Sr/86Sr. Scale and muscle signatures were highly correlated, demonstrating the feasibility of nonlethal sampling using fish scales. Some C (but not N) signature from the hatchery was retained in scales of 3-month-old fish, implicating scale annuli as a repository for past C signatures. The δ15N values successfully differentiated fish from tributaries with differences in land use (e.g., agricultural versus forested; ≈ 33% of sites); the δ13C values differentiated fish from 45% of sites. Based upon a discriminant-function analysis, group membership of individuals was correctly predicted in 44.3% (74 of 167) of cases for which both N and C were analyzed. In combination, N and C isotopes differentiated 73% of study sites, which was close to the success of Sr isotopes in the same system (83%).

scholarly journals Isotopes and individuals: diet and mobility among the medieval Bishops of Whithorn

Antiquity ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (322) ◽  
pp. 1119-1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gundula Müldner ◽  
Janet Montgomery ◽  
Gordon Cook ◽  
Rob Ellam ◽  
Andrew Gledhill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Meat Eating ◽  
The Status

Stable isotopes get personal in this analysis of burials at a medieval cathedral. Compared with the local meat-eating rank and file, those people identified as bishops consumed significantly more fish and were incomers from the east. These results, while not so surprising historically, lend much increased confidence that isotope analysis can successfully read the status and mobility of individuals in a cemetery.

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