Stable Isotope Evidence for Maize Horticulture and Paleodiet in Southern Ontario, Canada

1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Anne Katzenberg ◽  
Henry P. Schwarcz ◽  
Martin Knyf ◽  
F. Jerome Melbye
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
North America ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Nitrogen Isotopes ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
Animal Protein ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Isotope Data

This paper reports new data on stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes obtained from human skeletal remains found at six prehistoric sites dating between A.D. 400 and 1500 in southern Ontario. Analyses examine more closely the timing and intensity of maize adoption and the importance of animal protein in the diet, adding to earlier work in the region by the same authors (Schwarcz et al. 1985). As a result of changes in preferred methods of extracting bone collagen, a comparison of extraction methods is presented. Results indicate a gradual increase in the importance of maize in the diet over a period of approximately 600 years, from A.D. 650 to 1250, and little change in nitrogen isotope values during the same period. The results are considered within the larger temporal and geographical framework of eastern North America, drawing on stable isotope results from the published literature. Both paleobotanical and isotope data indicate marked differences in the timing and intensity of maize utilization in different regions of northeastern North America. Nitrogen isotope values decrease after around A.D. 1350, suggesting a decrease in animal protein in the diet. Stable isotope data provide one source of evidence for changes in human subsistence patterns and their interpretation relies on complementary data from sources such as the analysis of faunal and botanical remains, settlement patterns, and material culture.

New AMS Dates for Verteba Cave and Stable Isotope Evidence of Human Diet in The Holocene Forest-Steppe, Ukraine

Radiocarbon ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah H Ledogar ◽  
Jordan K Karsten ◽  
Gwyn D Madden ◽  
Ryan Schmidt ◽  
Mykhailo P Sokohatskyi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Discrete Events ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Freshwater Reservoir

ABSTRACTExcavations at several locations in Verteba Cave have uncovered a large amount of human skeletal remains in association with faunal bones and Tripolye material culture. We aim to establish radiocarbon (14C) dates for eight sites and to evaluate whether these deposits are singular events, or slow accumulations over time.14C measurements, along with stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from human and faunal remains, were collected from 18 specimens. Stable isotope values were used to evaluate human and animal diet, and whether freshwater reservoir effects offset measured dates. We found diets of the sampled species had limited to no influence from freshwater resources. Human diet appears to be dominated by terrestrial plants and herbivores. Four new sites were identified as Eneolithic. Comparisons of dates from top and bottom strata for two sites (7 and 20) reveal coeval dates, and we suggest that these deposits represent discrete events rather than slow continuous use. Lastly, we identified dates from the Mesolithic (8490±45 BP, 8765±30 BP), Iron Age (2505±20 BP), Slavic state era (1315±25 BP), and Medieval Period (585±15 BP), demonstrating periodic use of the cave by humans prior to and after the Eneolithic.

Evaluating bone collagen extraction methods for stable isotope analysis in dietary studies

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1824-1829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Louise S. Jørkov ◽  
Jan Heinemeier ◽  
Niels Lynnerup
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Stable Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
Bone Collagen

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 Environmental factors shaping stable isotope signatures of modern red deer (Cervus elaphus) inhabiting various habitats

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255398
Author(s):  
Maciej Sykut ◽  
Sławomira Pawełczyk ◽  
Tomasz Borowik ◽  
Boštjan Pokorny ◽  
Katarina Flajšman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Carbon Isotopic Composition ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Carbon Isotopic

Stable isotope analyses of bone collagen are often used in palaeoecological studies to reveal environmental conditions in the habitats of different herbivore species. However, such studies require valuable reference data, obtained from analyses of modern individuals, in habitats of well-known conditions. In this article, we present the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of bone collagen from modern red deer (N = 242 individuals) dwelling in various habitats (N = 15 study sites) in Europe. We investigated which of the selected climatic and environmental factors affected the δ13C and δ15N values in bone collagen of the studied specimens. Among all analyzed factors, the percent of forest cover influenced the carbon isotopic composition most significantly, and decreasing forest cover caused an increase in δ13C values. The δ15N was positively related to the proportion of open area and (only in the coastal areas) negatively related to the distance to the seashore. Using rigorous statistical methods and a large number of samples, we confirmed that δ13C and δ15N values can be used as a proxy of past habitats of red deer.

Intra-Community Variation in Diet during the Adoption of a New Staple Crop in the Eastern Woodlands

2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fionnuala Rose
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Isotopes ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bimodal Distribution ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Middle Woodland ◽  
Eastern Woodlands ◽  
Intensive Exploitation ◽  
Central Illinois ◽  
Staple Crop ◽  
River Valleys

This study investigated intracommunity variation in diet during the introduction and adoption of a new staple crop (maize) into an indigenous horticultural system. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes of human bone collagen were analyzed from five sites in west-central Illinois, dating from the Middle Woodland to Mississippian periods, and the results contrasted with evidence from neighboring river valleys and the wider Eastern Woodlands area. Contrary to speculation, neither the initial adoption of maize nor subsequent intensification in its use were correlated with status, gender, or age. A striking bimodal distribution was observed in consumption of native and introduced crops; growing or eating small amounts of maize was apparently not practiced. Fluoride dating confirms the burials are contemporary, and the pattern persists over several hundred years. Possible explanations include issues related to the economics of maize growing, household requirements for storage, exchange, or levies, or individual taste. Also notable were earlier-than-expected dates for intensive exploitation of the maize in this area, in the early Late Woodland, possibly as early as A.D. 400. Nitrogen isotope ratios were higher for males at all sites and time periods; the cause may have been greater access to dietary protein, or could be the result of physiological differences.

EXAMINING CHRONOLOGICAL TRENDS IN ANCIENT MAYA DIET AT MINANHA, BELIZE, USING THE STABLE ISOTOPES OF CARBON AND NITROGEN

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelyn S. Williams ◽  
Shannen M. Stronge ◽  
Gyles Iannone ◽  
Fred J. Longstaffe
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Ancient Maya ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

We present the results of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of bone collagen and bone bioapatite from the ancient Maya center of Minanha, Belize (ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 1260). The purpose of this research was to reconstruct diet and investigate the influence of sociopolitical and environmental factors. Overall, diet was relatively stable over time, with maize being a staple in all periods. Maize consumption reached its peak in the transitional Early to Middle Classic periods and decreased over time. When isotope data from dry periods were compared to normal periods, there were no significant differences, although comparisons of isotope data by burial location and type suggest that the apical or ruling elite consumed a more diverse diet, with more animal protein, relative to the lesser elites. The temporal variability in maize consumption seems best explained by sociopolitical factors documented at Minanha and within the Vaca Plateau. This study demonstrates the resilience of ancient subsistence practices in the face of climatic instability and highlights the impact that social and political factors can have on diet and subsistence economy.

scholarly journals Late Holocene spread of pastoralism coincides with endemic megafaunal extinction on Madagascar

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1955) ◽  
pp. 20211204
Author(s):  
Sean W. Hixon ◽  
Kristina G. Douglass ◽  
Brooke E. Crowley ◽  
Lucien Marie Aimé Rakotozafy ◽  
Geoffrey Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Zebu Cattle ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Exotic Animals ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
Introduced Herbivores

Recently expanded estimates for when humans arrived on Madagascar (up to approximately 10 000 years ago) highlight questions about the causes of the island's relatively late megafaunal extinctions (approximately 2000–500 years ago). Introduced domesticated animals could have contributed to extinctions, but the arrival times and past diets of exotic animals are poorly known. To conduct the first explicit test of the potential for competition between introduced livestock and extinct endemic megafauna in southern and western Madagascar, we generated new radiocarbon and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from the bone collagen of introduced ungulates (zebu cattle, ovicaprids and bushpigs, n = 66) and endemic megafauna (pygmy hippopotamuses, giant tortoises and elephant birds, n = 68), and combined these data with existing data from endemic megafauna ( n = 282, including giant lemurs). Radiocarbon dates confirm that introduced and endemic herbivores briefly overlapped chronologically in this region between 1000 and 800 calibrated years before present (cal BP). Moreover, stable isotope data suggest that goats, tortoises and hippos had broadly similar diets or exploited similar habitats. These data support the potential for both direct and indirect forms of competition between introduced and endemic herbivores. We argue that competition with introduced herbivores, mediated by opportunistic hunting by humans and exacerbated by environmental change, contributed to the late extinction of endemic megafauna on Madagascar.

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 Equine diet during protohistoric times in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula: Stable isotope data (C, N) from bone collagen

Data in Brief ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 107374
Author(s):  
Aurora Grandal-d'Anglade ◽  
Silvia Albizuri ◽  
F. Javier López-Cachero
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
Stable Isotope Data

scholarly journals New data on agro-pastoral diets in southern Italy from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiola Arena ◽  
Emanuela Gualdi-Russo ◽  
Jesper Olsen ◽  
Bente Philippsen ◽  
Marcello A. Mannino
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Animal Protein ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Economic Developments ◽  
The Bronze Age

Abstract The socio-cultural and economic developments that took place from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age are poorly understood, despite the fact that they were essential for the establishment of fully agro-pastoral economies in Europe. In this study, we aim to assess dietary changes in communities living in southern Italy during this period by examining stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios on human bone collagen. In particular, we investigated skeletal remains from seven sites in the southern Italian regions of Calabria (Grotta della Monaca, Grotta di Donna Marsilia and Grotta dell’Antenato), Basilicata (Murgia Timone, Grotta Funeraria and Toppo d’Aguzzo) and Apulia (Ipogeo dei Bronzi) to explore possible variations in diet between different geographic areas and periods. The results of the analysis on bone collagen extracts from 33 human and 12 faunal (sheep, dog, cattle and pigs) specimens attest that the diets of prehistoric southern Italians were mixed and based on the consumption of terrestrial resources, including generally moderate proportions of animal protein (e.g. meat and dairy products) and of C3 plants (e.g. cereals and legumes). Minor differences in the proportion of consumed meat are mostly dependent on the nature of regional environments, with individuals from Basilicata relying more on animal protein than those from Calabria and Apulia. Our study provides insights into the dietary habits of southern Italian populations during the prehistoric period that witnessed an increase both in agriculture and in pastoralism.

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