Diet, Body Size, and Landscape Use among Holocene People in the Southern Cape, South Africa

Sealy,; Pfeiffer,

doi:10.2307/3596683

Cited by 17 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…Bone collagen reflects the average isotopic composition of an individual's dietary protein input for a period of at least 10 yr prior to death (Ambrose 1993). Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen from bone collagen are measured using isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (see Sealy and Pfeiffer 2000 for a description of the method used on the skeletons in this study) and expressed as a ratio 13 C / 12 C relative to a standard ( 13 C), or 15 N/ 14 N relative to a standard ( 15 N). The formula for carbon is  13 C sample = {[ 13 C/ 12 C sample ÷ 13 C/ 12 C std] -1} × 1000 or per mil (‰) and for nitrogen it is  15 N sample = {[ 15 N/ 14 N sam-ple ÷ 15 N/ 14 N std] -1} × 1000 or per mil (‰).…”

Section: Stable Isotopesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaches to Estimating Marine Protein in Human Collagen for Radiocarbon Date Calibration

Dewar

Pfeiffer

2010

Radiocarbon

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ABSTRACT. Determining the appropriate approach to calibrating radiocarbon dates is challenging when unknown and variable fractions of the carbon sample are derived from terrestrial and marine systems. Uncalibrated dates from a large number of human skeletons from Western Cape and Southern Cape locales, South Africa (n = 187), can be used to explore alternate approaches to the marine carbon correction. The approach that estimates theoretically expected minimum and maximum values for marine carbon ("expected") is compared to the approach that estimates observed minimum and maximum values ("observed"). Two case studies are explored, wherein skeletons interred together have non-overlapping conventional 14 C ages. The case from the Western Cape is explored through carbon isotope values; the case from the Southern Cape uses nitrogen isotope values. In both cases, the approach using observed endpoints yields better date calibration results. Analysis of the large sample shows that mean values for estimated dietary % Marine, as calculated using expected and observed protocols, are significantly different. We conclude that the observed protocol is preferred, and that improved measures of the local marine reservoir (R) are needed for this region.

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Section: Stable Isotopesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaches to Estimating Marine Protein in Human Collagen for Radiocarbon Date Calibration

Dewar

Pfeiffer

2010

Radiocarbon

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“…The archaeological skeletal remains of Later Stone Age (LSA) foragers from southern Africa have characteristically small skeletal dimensions (Smith et al, 1992;Wilson and Lundy, 1994;Sealy and Pfeiffer, 2000;Pfeiffer and Sealy, 2006). Studies of chronometrically dated LSA skeletal remains indicate consistency of small body size throughout the Holocene, with a transient temporal pattern of further reduced adult body size (Sealy and Pfeiffer, 2000;Pfeiffer and Sealy, 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies of chronometrically dated LSA skeletal remains indicate consistency of small body size throughout the Holocene, with a transient temporal pattern of further reduced adult body size (Sealy and Pfeiffer, 2000;Pfeiffer and Sealy, 2006). This small size presents challenges to accurate body size estimation since most prediction equations are based on reference samples of larger skeletal size and different proportions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult proportionality in small‐bodied foragers: A test of ecogeographic expectations

Kurki

Ginter

Stock

et al. 2007

American J Phys Anthropol

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If predictable, ecogeographic patterning in body size and proportions of human populations can provide valuable information regarding human biology, adaptation to local environments, migration histories, and health, now and in the past. This paper evaluates the assumption that small-bodied Later Stone Age (LSA) foragers of Southern Africa show the adult proportions that would be expected of warm-adapted populations. Comparisons are also made with small-bodied foragers from the Andaman Islands (AI). Indices including brachial, crural, limb element length to skeletal trunk height, and femoral head and bi-iliac breadth to femoral length were calculated from samples of LSA (n = 124) and AI (n = 31) adult skeletons. Samples derived from the literature include those from high (Europe), middle (North Africa), and low (Sub-Saharan Africa) latitude regions. The LSA and AI samples match some but not all expected ecogeographic patterns for their particular regions of long term habitation. For most limb length to skeletal trunk height indices the LSA and AI are most similar to the other mid-latitude sample (North Africans). However, both groups are similar to low latitude groups in their narrow bi-iliac breadths, and the AI display relatively long radii. Proportions of LSA and AI samples also differ from those of African pygmies. In regions like southern-most Africa, that do not experience climatic extremes of temperature or humidity, or where small body size exists through drift or selection, body size, and proportions may also be influenced by nonclimatic variables, such as energetic efficiency.

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“…There is a richly productive marine ecosystem, thanks to the mixing of the icy The Holocene Later Stone Age human skeletons come from rock shelters, excavated with variable levels of expertise, and from many chance discoveries of skeletons buried in sand dunes. The pattern of adult body size is short stature, gracile frame (Sealy & Pfeiffer, 2000;, and lean physique. The latter is deduced from the ubiquitous presence of squatting facets and evidence of knee hyperflexion in adult skeletal remains (Dewar & Pfeiffer, 2004).…”

Section: Later Stone Age Hunter-gatherersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogeny of postcranial robusticity among Holocene hunter-gatherers of southernmost Africa

Harrington

2012

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

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Ontogenetic patterns in postcranial robusticity are analysed in the skeletons of eighty-two juvenile Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers with estimated ages at death ranging from infancy to late adolescence. Robusticity is quantified from cross-sectional geometric properties of diaphyses at sixteen sites throughout the skeleton, using radiography and casting methods. (1925 -2005) and Susan Joyce Robbins (1953Robbins ( -2007 iv AcknowledgementsA great many people provided support and encouragement toward the preparation of this thesis. I thank the curators of the skeletal remains that form the basis of this research for giving me the opportunity to study the collections under their care: Drs.

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Diet, Body Size, and Landscape Use among Holocene People in the Southern Cape, South Africa

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

Approaches to Estimating Marine Protein in Human Collagen for Radiocarbon Date Calibration

Approaches to Estimating Marine Protein in Human Collagen for Radiocarbon Date Calibration

Adult proportionality in small‐bodied foragers: A test of ecogeographic expectations

Ontogeny of postcranial robusticity among Holocene hunter-gatherers of southernmost Africa

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