scholarly journals Isotopes, Plants, and Reservoir Effects: Case Study from the Caspian Steppe Bronze Age

Radiocarbon ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 749-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Shishlina ◽  
E Zazovskaya ◽  
J van der Plicht ◽  
V Sevastyanov
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Alternative Explanation ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Animal Bone ◽  
Different Types ◽  
C And N ◽  
East And West

Bronze Age human and animal bone collagen from several steppe Bronze Age cultures (i.e. Early Catacomb, East and West Manych Catacomb, and Lola cultures) shows large variations in δ13C and δ15N values. In general, we observed that the older the sample, the lower the δ13C and δ15N values. We hypothesize that more positive values of δ13C and δ15N are caused by change in diet and a more arid climate. For ancient sheep during drier periods of the Early Catacomb, East and West Manych Catacomb, and Lola cultures, we observed 2 groups with different C and N isotopic compositions, reflecting consumption of different types of fodder. During periods of aridization, C4 and C3 plants with high δ15N values appeared in the vegetation, also influencing bone collagen values. Human bones show reservoir effects, caused by aquatic diet components. These effects can be quantified by paired dating of human bone and associated terrestrial samples. Reservoir corrections have revised chronologies for the region. Some paired dates do not reveal reservoir effects. This can be explained in 2 alternative ways. One is that the human diet did not include aquatic components; rather, the diet was based on C3 vegetation with high δ15N values (13–15‰), and flesh/milk of domesticated animals. An alternative explanation is that humans consumed food from freshwater resources without reservoir effects.

scholarly journals Reservoir Effect of Archaeological Samples from Steppe Bronze Age Cultures in Southern Russia

Radiocarbon ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (02) ◽  
pp. 767-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Shishlina ◽  
V Sevastyanov ◽  
E Zazovskaya ◽  
J van der Plicht
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Human Bone ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Reservoir Effect ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Animal Bone ◽  
Southern Russia

Human and animal bone collagen from different Steppe Bronze Age cultures, including the Yamnaya, East Manych Catacomb, and Lola cultures, show large variations in δ13C and δ15N values. More positive values of δ13C and δ15N are caused by change in diet and/or a more arid climate. Human bones show reservoir effects caused by aquatic diet components. These effects can be quantified by paired dating of human bone and associated terrestrial samples. Previous research showed reservoir corrections for several cultures of the Eurasian steppes Bronze Age, leading to a revision of the local chronologies. Additional investigations showed that some paired dates do not reveal reservoir effects. Recently, our database was extended significantly with new13C,l5N, and14C analyses of the Lola, Krivaya, and Babino cultures. The size of the reservoir offset for the studied cultures is discussed.

scholarly journals Reservoir Effect of Archaeological Samples from Steppe Bronze Age Cultures in Southern Russia

Radiocarbon ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 767-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Shishlina ◽  
V Sevastyanov ◽  
E Zazovskaya ◽  
J van der Plicht
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Human Bone ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Reservoir Effect ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Animal Bone ◽  
Southern Russia

Human and animal bone collagen from different Steppe Bronze Age cultures, including the Yamnaya, East Manych Catacomb, and Lola cultures, show large variations in δ13C and δ15N values. More positive values of δ13C and δ15N are caused by change in diet and/or a more arid climate. Human bones show reservoir effects caused by aquatic diet components. These effects can be quantified by paired dating of human bone and associated terrestrial samples. Previous research showed reservoir corrections for several cultures of the Eurasian steppes Bronze Age, leading to a revision of the local chronologies. Additional investigations showed that some paired dates do not reveal reservoir effects. Recently, our database was extended significantly with new 13C, l5N, and 14C analyses of the Lola, Krivaya, and Babino cultures. The size of the reservoir offset for the studied cultures is discussed.

Aquatic Radiocarbon Reservoir Offsets in the Southeastern Baltic

Radiocarbon ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gytis Piličiauskas ◽  
Carl Heron
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Bronze Age ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Curonian Lagoon ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Ceramic Vessel ◽  
Pike Perch ◽  
Ceramic Vessels ◽  
Ams Dates

The aim of this article is to discuss radiocarbon dating offsets due to freshwater and marine reservoir effects (FRE and MRE, respectively) in the southeastern Baltic. Thirty-six 14C dates from Lithuanian coastal and inland Subneolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age sites as well as two Mesolithic-Neolithic cemeteries are presented here. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates, sometimes paired or tripled, have been obtained on samples of various origin, foodcrusts, or visible charred deposits adhering to the surfaces of ceramic vessel walls were also dated and investigated for stable isotope signals. The results argue for a significant freshwater component in the food processed in ceramic vessels during the Subneolithic and Neolithic. Paired dating of ungulate and human bones at the Spiginas and Donkalnis cemeteries (6300–1900 cal BC) does not suggest an FRE, although stable isotope data on human bone collagen strongly suggest a large input of freshwater food in the diet. An FRE in the order of 320–510 yr was estimated for the Šventoji paleolagoon around 3000 cal BC. At the same time, the FRE of the Curonian Lagoon could be larger as implied by large apparent 14C ages of modern pike-perch (981 ± 30 BP) and bream (738 ± 30 BP) bones as well as “foodcrust” offsets (650–530 yr) at Nida (3500–2500 cal BC). An MRE of 190 ± 43 yr was estimated for the southeastern coast of the Littorina Sea according to offsets between dates of seal bones and terrestrial samples at Nida and Šventoji. Any FRE at Lake Kretuonas remains uncertain due to the limited work to date.

scholarly journals Stones, Bones, and Hillfort: Radiocarbon Dating of ķivutkalns Bronze-Working Center

Radiocarbon ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 1252-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Oinonen ◽  
A Vasks ◽  
G Zarina ◽  
M Lavento
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Nuclear Family ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Bone Material ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Animal Bone ◽  
Archaeological Artifacts

The Bronze Age site of ķivutkalns with its massive amount of archaeological artifacts and human remains is considered the largest bronze-working center in Latvia. The site is a unique combination of cemetery and hillfort believed to be built on top of each other. This work presents new radiocarbon dates on human and animal bone collagen that somewhat challenge this interpretation. Based on analyses using a Bayesian modeling framework, the present data suggest overlapping calendar year distributions for the contexts within the 1st millennium BC. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios indicate mainly terrestrial dietary habits of studied individuals and nuclear family remains buried in one of the graves. The older charcoal data may be subject to the old-wood effect and the results are partly limited by the limited amount of data and the 14C calibration curve plateau of the 1st millennium BC. Therefore, the ultimate conclusions on contemporaneity of the cemetery and hillfort need to wait for further analyses on the massive amounts of bone material.

scholarly journals Princezny z Hájku. K problematice elity ve střední době bronzové

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 21-34
Author(s):  
Soňa Nožinová ◽  
Petr Krištuf
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Female Partners ◽  
Local Elite ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Elite Status ◽  
Personal Qualities ◽  
Different Origins ◽  
The Bronze Age ◽  
Status Of Women

The topic of this study is the possibilities of archaeological identification of the local elite in the Bronze Age. We‘re targeting the female elite, who are characterized by a particular form of costume. In a case study of the barrow cemetery of Šťáhlavy – Hájek, we are trying to show that the elite status of women in the Bronze Age was not based on their personal qualities, but rather on their affinity with an elite family. Their social status may therefore have been hereditary. On the other hand, it turns out that certain particularities of the costume (different types of necklaces, etc.) may point to different origins of women and thus the exchange of female partners within the wider elite community.

scholarly journals Using Stable Isotopes and a Bayesian Mixing Model (FRUITS) to Investigate Diet at the Early Neolithic Site of Carding Mill Bay, Scotland

Radiocarbon ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 1275-1294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica M Bownes ◽  
Philippa L Ascough ◽  
Gordon T Cook ◽  
Iona Murray ◽  
Clive Bonsall
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Mixing Model ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Marine Resources ◽  
Sea Spray ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Bayesian Mixing Model ◽  
Animal Bone ◽  
Fish And Shellfish

AbstractWe present δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S measurements on archaeological human and animal bone collagen samples from a shell midden dating to the Neolithic ca. 4000–3500 cal BC, together with measurements on modern fish and shellfish. These data were used in conjunction with the Bayesian mixing model, Food Reconstruction Using Isotopic Transferred Signals (FRUITS), to reconstruct human diet at the site. We demonstrate the importance of using a geographically appropriate faunal baseline in stable isotope paleodietary studies, and suggest that Neolithic individuals at this site consumed up to ca. 21% of dietary protein from marine resources, despite stable isotope ratios that imply a wholly terrestrial diet. This marine resource consumption does not significantly shift the radiocarbon (14C) dates of these individuals, so although we must consider the use of marine resources at the site, the chronology that has previously been established is secure. The δ13C and δ15N measurements from the archaeological herbivore bone collagen indicate that it is unlikely they ate plants enriched with fertilisers such as manure or seaweed. The δ34S values reveal a sea-spray effect; therefore, in this instance, δ34S cannot be used as a dietary indicator but can be used to demonstrate the likely locality of the fauna.

scholarly journals Linking structural and compositional changes in archaeological human bone collagen: an FTIR-ATR approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Martínez Cortizas ◽  
Olalla López-Costas
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Spectroscopic Techniques ◽  
C And N ◽  
Atr Spectroscopy

Abstract Collagen is the main structural and most abundant protein in the human body, and it is routinely extracted and analysed in scientific archaeology. Its degree of preservation is, therefore, crucial and several approaches are used to determine it. Spectroscopic techniques provide a cost-effective, non-destructive method to investigate the molecular structure, especially when combined with multivariate statistics (chemometric approach). In this study, we used FTIR-ATR spectroscopy to characterise collagen extracted from skeletons recovered from necropoleis in NW Spain spanning from the Bronze Age to eighteenth century AD. Principal components analysis was performed on a selection of bands and structural equation models (SEM) were developed to relate the collagen quality indicators to collagen structural change. Four principal components represented: (i) Cp1, transformations of the backbone protein with a residual increase in proteoglycans; (ii) Cp2, protein transformations not accompanied by changes in proteoglycans abundance; (iii) Cp3, variations in aliphatic side chains and (iv) Cp4, absorption of the OH of carbohydrates and amide. Highly explanatory SEM models were obtained for the traditional collagen quality indicators (collagen yield, C, N, C:N), but no relationship was found between quality and δ13C and δ15N ratios. The observed decrease in C and N content and increase in C:N ratios is controlled by the degradation of protein backbone components and the relative preservation of carbon-rich compounds, proteoglycans and, to a lesser extent, aliphatic moieties. Our results suggest that FTIR-ATR is an ideal technique for collagen characterization/pre-screening for palaeodiet, mobility and radiocarbon research.

scholarly journals A Freshwater Diet-Derived 14C Reservoir Effect at the Stone Age Sites in the Iron Gates Gorge

Radiocarbon ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (2A) ◽  
pp. 453-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
G T Cook ◽  
C Bonsall ◽  
R E M Hedges ◽  
K McSweeney ◽  
V Boronean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Human Bone ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Reservoir Effect ◽  
Human Bones ◽  
Direct Association ◽  
Freshwater Reservoir ◽  
Isotope Analyses

Human bones from single inhumation burials and artifacts made from terrestrial mammal (ungulate) bone found in direct association with the skeletons were obtained from the Stone Age site of Schela Cladovei situated just below the Iron Gates Gorge of the River Danube. The results of stable isotope analyses of the human bone collagen are consistent with a heavy dependence on aquatic protein while radiocarbon dating of the samples reveals an offset of 300–500 years between the two sample types, indicating a freshwater reservoir effect in the human bone samples. Since protein consumption is by far the major source of nitrogen in the human diet we have assumed a linear relationship between δ15N and the level of aquatic protein in each individual's diet and derived a calibration for 14C age offset versus δ15N which has been applied to a series of results from the site at Lepenski Vir within the gorge. The corrected 14C ages (7310-6720 BP) are now consistent with the previous 14C age measurements made on charcoal from related contexts (7360–6560 BP). In addition, the data indicate a change from a primarily aquatic to a mixed terrestrial/aquatic diet around 7100 BP and this may be argued as supporting a shift from Mesolithic to Neolithic. This study also has wider implications for the accurate dating of human bone samples when the possibility exists of an aquatic component in the dietary protein and strongly implies that δ15N analysis should be undertaken routinely when dating human bones.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document