Subsistence in the Florida Archaic: The Stable-Isotope and Archaeobotanical Evidence from the Windover Site

1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noreen Tuross ◽  
Marilyn L. Fogel ◽  
Lee Newsom ◽  
Glen H. Doran
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Isotopic Analysis ◽  
Prickly Pear ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Subsistence Strategy ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Early Fall

A paleodietary analysis of the mid-Holocene mortuary site, Windover (8BR246), based on carbon and nitrogen bone-collagen values and archaeobotanical information is consistent with a subsistence strategy that utilized river-dwelling fauna and a range of terrestrial flora, such as grapes and prickly pear. The isotopic analysis does not support the extensive human dietary use of either marine mammals or classic terrestrial fauna such as deer or rabbit. Seasonal (late summer/early fall) use of the site is indicated by the range of flora found in association with the burials.

How ‘Best’ to Determine Trophic Levels in Archaeological Agricultural Communities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Reynard
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Trophic Level ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Agricultural Communities ◽  
Plant Remains ◽  
Isotope System

Stable isotope ratios of bone collagen have been used to determine trophic levels in diverse archaeological populations. The longest established and arguably most successful isotope system has been nitrogen, followed by carbon, and more recently hydrogen. These trophic level proxies rely on a predictable change in isotope ratio with each trophic level step; however, this requirement may not always be met, which can lead to difficulties in interpreting archaeological evidence. In agricultural communities, in particular, there are several possible complications to the interpretation of nitrogen and carbon isotopes. Recent approaches to overcome these limitations include better quantification and understanding of the influences on consumer isotope ratios; inclusion of evidence from plant remains; further investigation of apatite δ13C—collagen δ13C spacing in bones; measurement of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in individual amino acids, rather than collagen; and development of other stable isotope proxies for trophic level, such as hydrogen isotopes.

scholarly journals Light Stable Isotope Analysis of Diet in Corded Ware Culture Communities: Święte, Jarosław District, South-Eastern Poland

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Werens ◽  
Anita Szczepanek ◽  
Paweł Jarosz
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Stable Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotopic Analysis ◽  
Animal Protein ◽  
Protein Component ◽  
Human Bone ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
C3 Plant ◽  
South Eastern

Abstract The presented study was based on isotopic analysis of δ13C and δ15N in human bone collagen samples from graves of the Corded Ware culture in Święte, south-east Poland. Isotopic values demonstrate a relatively narrow variation, ranging from -20.4‰ to -19.8‰ and 10.6‰ to 12.0‰ for δ13C and δ15N values, respectively. The diet was likely C3 plant-based with a substantial animal protein component, including predominantly terrestrial and possibly riverine resources.

scholarly journals Combining δ13C and δ15N from bone and dentine in marine mammal palaeoecological research: insights from toothed whales

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Rey-Iglesia ◽  
Tess Wilson ◽  
Jennifer Routledge ◽  
Mikkel Skovrind ◽  
Eva Garde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Correction Factors ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Toothed Whale ◽  
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer

Rationale Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope compositions of bone and dentine collagen extracted from subfossil specimens of extinct and extant mammalian species have been widely used to study the paleoecology of past populations. Due to possible systematic differences in stable isotope values between bone and dentine, dentine values can be transformed into bone-collagen equivalent using a correction factor. This approach has been applied to terrestrial species, but correction factors specifically for marine mammals are lacking. Here, we provide correction factors to transform dentine δ13C and δ15N values into bone-collagen equivalent for two toothed whale sister species: narwhal and beluga. Methods We sampled bone and tooth dentine from the skulls of 11 narwhals and 26 belugas. In narwhals, dentine was sampled from tusk and embedded tooth; in beluga, dentine was sampled from tooth. δ13C and δ15N were measured using an elemental analyzer coupled to a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Intraindividual bone and dentine isotopic compositions were used to calculate correction factors for each species, and to translate dentine isotopic values into bone-collagen equivalent. Results Our analysis revealed differences in δ13C and δ15N between bone and dentine. In narwhals, we found (i) lower average δ13C in bone compared with dentine from tusk and embedded tooth; (ii) no difference in dentine δ13C between tusk and embedded tooth; (iii) lower average δ15N in bone compared with dentine, with the highest values found in embedded tooth. For belugas, we also detected lower δ13C and δ15N in bone compared with tooth dentine. Conclusions Based on our analysis, we provide bone/dentine correction factors for narwhals (both at species and population level), and for belugas. The correction factors, when applied to dentine δ13C and δ15N values, enable the combined analysis of stable isotope data from bone and dentine.

Bone collagen stable isotope analysis of a Bronze Age site of Liushugou and its implication for subsistence strategy in arid northwest China

The Holocene ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 095968362097025
Author(s):  
Weimiao Dong ◽  
Cheng-Bang An ◽  
Yongqiang Wang ◽  
Wanglin Hu ◽  
Jie Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotopic Analysis ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Subsistence Strategy ◽  
Subsistence Strategies ◽  
Eastern Tianshan ◽  
Carbon Isotopic

Several studies have revealed the subsistence strategies of Bronze Age people along Eastern Tianshan Mountains. However, all the previously revolved sites were permanent settlements. How people survived in arid harsh mountainous environment facing source scarcity during Bronze Age in the inner Asia is far beyond clear. This study focuses on bone carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analysis of both human and faunal assemblage exhumed from Liushugou site, integrated with marcobotanical result and radiocarbon data to reveal human diets and subsistence strategy of this Bronze Age community. Stable carbon isotopic analysis of human bones (−19.1‰ to −17.2‰, −18.1 ± 0.4‰, n = 46) and macrobotanical results (barley) consistently indicating a nearly pure C3 based plants food intake. High δ15N values of the majority people (12.4‰ to 15.1‰, 13.4 ± 0.5‰, n = 44) point to heavy animal protein consumption. No detectable isotopic composition was observed between omnivores (boar, −19.0‰ and −17.5‰, 8.2‰ and 8.7‰, n = 2) and large number of herbivores (−20.0‰ to −9.7‰, −18 ± 1.7‰; 5.5‰ to 13.4‰, 8.4 ± 1.7‰; n = 56). Compared to those sites along Eastern Tianshan Mts. whose diets included millets/barley/wheat, humans at Liushugou site barely consumed millets during their occupation (3500–2900 cal BP). The diverse subsistence strategies of human populations demonstrate the active adaptations to different environment along Eastern Tianshan Mts. during Bronze Age.

scholarly journals Ancient Beringian paleodiets revealed through multiproxy stable isotope analyses

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (36) ◽  
pp. eabc1968
Author(s):  
Carrin M. Halffman ◽  
Ben A. Potter ◽  
Holly J. McKinney ◽  
Takumi Tsutaya ◽  
Bruce P. Finney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Americans ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Tooth Enamel ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Essential Amino Acids ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Isotope Analyses

The earliest Native Americans have often been portrayed as either megafaunal specialists or generalist foragers, but this debate cannot be resolved by studying the faunal record alone. Stable isotope analysis directly reveals the foods consumed by individuals. We present multi-tissue isotope analyses of two Ancient Beringian infants from the Upward Sun River site (USR), Alaska (~11,500 years ago). Models of fetal bone turnover combined with seasonally-sensitive taxa show that the carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of USR infant bone collagen reflects maternal diets over the summer. Using comparative faunal isotope data, we demonstrate that although terrestrial sources dominated maternal diets, salmon was also important, supported by carbon isotope analysis of essential amino acids and bone bioapatite. Tooth enamel samples indicate increased salmon use between spring and summer. Our results do not support either strictly megafaunal specialists or generalized foragers but indicate that Ancient Beringian diets were complex and seasonally structured.

An Analysis of the Last 1000 Years Human Diet on Tutuila (American Samoa) Using Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Data

2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédérique Valentin ◽  
Estelle Herrscher ◽  
Fiona Petchey ◽  
David J. Addison
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
American Samoa ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Nitrogen Stable Isotope ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Dietary Shift ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
Stable Isotope Data

This paper reports the first set of isotopic data relating to human diet from the Samoan Archipelago. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data measured on bone collagen were used to assess dietary patterns of prehistoric communities on Tutuila Island, American Samoa. We examined 14 human bones from three sites dated to three distinct periods: ~1,000 years ago (N = 5); -500 years ago (N = 8) and -150 years ago (N = 1). The isotopie data suggest that the human diet on Tutuila over the last 1,000 years was composed mainly of terrestrial resources with some consumption of coastal reef products. These data suggest a possible dietary change over time, with a higher dependence on marine resources in the earlier period shifting to a more terrestrial diet in the later period. Several possibilities for this dietary shift are suggested including: change in community specialization; marine resource depression; disintensification of marine procurement; intensification of horticultural production; and cultural or social changes in resource allocation.

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