A palaeodietary investigation of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) in human and faunal bones from the Copper Age cemeteries of Varna I and Durankulak, Bulgaria

Integrating botanical, faunal and human stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values to reconstruct land use and palaeodiet at LBK Vaihingen an der Enz, Baden-Württemberg

“…Dietary nitrogen comes only from ingested proteins and δ 15 N values increase with each trophic level, in the range of approximately +3 to +5‰, with variations observed to depend on species and dietary composition/quality (DeNiro and Epstein 1981;Minagawa and Wada 1984;Robbins, Felicetti and Sponheimer 2005;Sponheimer et al 2003;Vanderklift and Ponsard 2003). The magnitude of the isotopic spacing (or difference) between herbivore and human δ 15 N values (Δ herbivore -human ) has been used as a measure of relative animal versus plant protein consumption, with larger spacings indicating a higher consumption of herbivore protein than smaller spacings, while dietary assessment using linear-mixing models seeks to quantify different dietary inputs (Dürrwächter et al 2006;Hedges and Reynard 2007;Honch et al 2006;Jay and Richards 2006;Richards and Hedges 1999). All palaeodietary investigations are required to make certain assumptions regarding the magnitude of fractionation in C and N isotopes between food sources and the consumer's body tissues, as well as the starting concentrations and incorporation of C and N elements, in order to be able to interpret N isotope spacing quantities or mixing-model outcomes (Hedges and Reynard 2007;Parnell et al 2010;Phillips and Koch 2002;Schwarcz 2000).…”

Dietary patterns and social structures in medieval Sigtuna, Sweden, as reflected in stable isotope values in human skeletal remains

“…Many studies have examined dietary patterns in relation to social hierarchy (e.g. Aufderheide, 1989;Aufderheide et al, 1988;Baraybar and de la Rua, 1997;During, 1994During, , 1997Eriksson, 2003;Honch et al, 2006;Iregren et al, 2000;Jay and Richards, 2006;Katzenberg, 2000;Katzenberg et al, 1995;Lidé n, 1995;Lidé n and Nelson, 1994;Mays, 1997Mays, , 2000Mays, , 2003Mü ldner and Richards, 2005;Olsson and Isaksson, 2008;Papathanasiou, 2003;Polet and Katzenberg, 2003;Privat et al, 2002;Richards et al, 1998;Richards et al, 2006;Sandford and Weaver, 2000;Schutkowski, 1995;Schutkowski et al, 1999;Ubelaker et al, 1995;Vuorinen et al, 1996;Waldron, 1981;White, 1994;White et al, 1993). Our main objective is to examine dietary patterns in Sigtuna through chemical analyses of human remains using stable isotopes.…”

Adaptation of populations to changing environments: Bioarchaeological perspectives on health for the past, present and future

“…Stable isotope analyses have allowed bioarchaeologists to answer fundamental questions about diet and mobility. For example, Honch et al [35] surprisingly found a mainly terrestrial diet being eaten by people living on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, and Turner et al [36] showed an age-related difference in diet at medieval Kulubnarti in Nubia (AD 550-800); children ate isotopically depleted protein and plant sources, relative to adults. In terms of mobility, Evans et al [37] found a local and non-local group of people buried at the late Roman site of Lankhills, Winchester, Hampshire, England; the non-locals appeared to have come from several areas of Europe and eventually had been buried there.…”