Elemental signatures of human diets from the Georgia Bight

Abstract

Multielement analysis was performed on bone samples extracted from the femora of 39 adults from three mortuary sites (Johns Mound, Santa Catalina de Guale, and Santa Catalina de Guale de Santa Maria) and time periods (late preagricultural, early contact, and late contact) in the Georgia Bight. This study was used to investigate whether elemental analysis would support or contradict other lines of data regarding diets and dietary change previously generated for the region. The data are in agreement with an earlier interpretation, based on stable isotopes, that dietary maize increases through time but fails to support the idea that marine resources decreased in importance. Rather, it appears that the wild plant food component of the diets decreases as maize increases in importance; throughout the sequence, marine resources comprise a significant portion of the diets.

Examining the Life History of an Individual From Solcor 3, San Pedro De Atacama: Combining Bioarchaeology and Archaeological Chemistry

“…Therefore, the ratio of strontium to calcium (Sr/Ca) in bones is lowest for carnivores, slightly higher for herbivores, and the highest Sr/Ca ratios are found in plant materials (Balter 2004;Dolphin and Eve 1963;Elias et al 1982;Price et al 1985;Price et al 1986;Schroeder et al 1972). This information has been used by archaeologists to determine the amounts of plant and animal material in an individual's diet (Baraybar 1999;Brown 1974;Burton 1996;Ezzo 1992a;Ezzo et al 1995;Farnum and Sandford 2002;Schoeninger 1979;Schutkowski et al 1999;Sillen 1981Sillen , 1992Tomczak 1995). In addition, the ratio of barium to calcium has been used to identify marine food consumption when used in conjunction with strontium concentration data Price 1990, 1991).…”

Paleodietary Analysis of Human Remains from a Hellenistic-Roman Cemetery at Camihöyük, Turkey

“…Fe is primarily sourced from soil burial contamination [16]. Cu, Ni, and Zn are essential trace elements, and Ni is also a potential drill bit contamination tracer [17]. So, it might be Ni contamination if there was a high Ni level in the bones.…”

Migration and Viking Dublin: paleomobility and paleodiet through isotopic analyses

“…While the concentrations of major, minor, and trace elements can vary with trophic level, they are also influenced by geographic region and diagenetic contamination (Burton and Price, 2000;Burton et al, 2003, Burton et al, 1999Burton and Wright, 1995;Ezzo, 1994a, Ezzo, 1994bEzzo, et al, 1995). However, there are clear differences in the ratios of barium to strontium (Ba/Sr) in marine and terrestrial environments, since most barium in seawater is found in insoluble barium sulfate (Burton and Price, 1990).…”

“…Finally, the concentrations of major, minor and trace elements have been used for paleodietary and paleomobility studies (Burton, 1996;Burton et al, 2003, Ezzo et al, 1995Schoeninger, 1978Schoeninger, , 1979Schutkowski et al, 1999;Shaw et al, 2010). There are clear trophic level differences in barium and strontium concentrations when compared to calcium concentrations (Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca) (Blum et al, 2000;Burton et al, 1999;Elias, 1980;Price et al, 1985, Price et al, 1986.…”