The Balearic Islands occupy a central space in the western Mediterranean, at the maritime crossroads between North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of southwestern Europe. As such, it is well placed to investigate changes in subsistence practices associated with the major cultural transitions following the arrival of Islamic rule. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis was carried out on bone collagen from the Islamic cemetery (ca. AD 950-1150) population excavated at 33 Bartomeu Vicent Ramon, Ibiza, including human (n = 42) and faunal remains (n = 3). Stable oxygen and carbon isotope analysis was also undertaken on human tooth enamel carbonate (n = 6), and six humans were directly radiocarbon dated, confirming the presence of two distinct burial phases. The collagen results emphasise a C 3 -based diet, with variable but generally minor contributions from marine and/or C 4 foods. However, the enamel carbonate results indicate a far greater importance of C 4 crops than suggested by the collagen results, contributing up to 40% of energy intake. In keeping with previous studies of the region and period, the dietary contribution of marine protein is probably limited. A small number of outliers in both collagen and carbonate isotope results are identified, suggesting the presence of individuals originating elsewhere. The results are compared with those from previous investigations on the Balearics and the Spanish mainland, highlighting the complexity of factors-both cultural and methodological-affecting inter-regional dietary investigation.

The Lake Baikal region of southern Siberia has a rich mortuary record with good skeletal preservation that has provided the most comprehensive isotopic database for palaeodietary studies of north-temperate hunter-gatherers in the world. Building on previous work, this study contributes new δ C, δ N, and AMS radiocarbon dating results from the cemeteries of Verkholensk (n = 44) in the Upper Lena River micro-region and Ulan-Khada (n = 19) in the Little Sea micro-region. Our results reveal several previously unrecognized patterns. Early Bronze Age (EBA, 4600-3700 cal BP) individuals at Verkholensk exhibit lower δ 15 N values than in the Late Neolithic (LN, 5570-4600 cal BP), suggesting a shift to a more terrestrial diet in the later period. In addition, EBA individuals at Verkholensk differ in both δ 13 C and δ 15 N from those at the nearby site of Obkhoi, suggesting territorial divisions at a surprisingly small scale, though there is a diachronic component that also needs to be considered. The comparison highlights the need for additional work on freshwater reservoir corrections for the Upper Lena. The Ulan-Khada EBA results are consistent with the dietary patterns previously identified for the Little Sea micro-region, with a division into distinct 'Game-Fish' and 'Game-Fish-Seal' diets. A new finding is that EBA females with Game-Fish-Seal diets for the whole of the Little Sea sample display significantly lower mean δ 13 C values than their male counterparts.A small number of outliers in δ 13 C and/or δ 15 N were identified at both Verkholensk and Ulan-Khada that may support previous suggestions of migration between the Upper Lena and Little Sea micro-regions. Exploratory use of δ 18 O isotopes in bone collagen offers a novel line of support for this scenario, but further research is needed.

The Aceramic Neolithic site of Ganj Dareh (Kermanshah, Iran) is arguably one of the most significant sites for enhancing our understanding of goat domestication and the onset of sedentism. Despite its central importance, it has proven difficult to obtain contextually reliable data from it and integrate the site in regional syntheses because it was never published in full after excavations ceased in 1974. This paper presents the Ganj Dareh archive at Université de Montréal and shows how the documentation and artifacts it comprises still offer a great deal of useful information about the site. In particular, we 1) present the first stratigraphic profile for the site, which reveals a more complex depositional history than Smith’s five-level sequence; 2) reveal the presence of two possible pre-agricultural levels (H-01 and P-01); 3) explore the spatial organization of different levels; 4) explain possible discrepancies in the radiocarbon dates from the site; 5) show some differences in lithic technological organization in levels H-01 and P-01 suggestive of higher degrees of residential mobility than subsequent phases of occupation at the site; and 6) reanalyze the burial data to broaden our understanding of Aceramic Neolithic mortuary practices in the Zagros. These data help refine our understanding of Ganj Dareh’s depositional and occupational history and recenter it as a key site to improve our understanding the Neolithization process in the Middle East.