Metals and millets: Bronze and Iron Age diet in inland and coastal Croatia seen through stable isotope analysis

Lightfoot, Emma; Šlaus, Mario; Šikanjić, Petra Rajić; O’Connell, Tamsin C.

doi:10.1007/s12520-014-0194-3

Cited by 35 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Southern Switzerland, influenced by Mediterranean weather, is therefore characterized by a much milder climate than the north (Brönnimann et al 2014). C 4 plants such as millet are more drought-tolerant than C 3 plants and therefore its cultivation is easier in warmer climates including with short growing seasons (Lightfoot et al 2015). In fact, this could have favored the cultivation of C 4 plants in southern areas of Switzerland.…”

Section: Consumption Of Millet In Late Iron Age Switzerlandmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bioarchaeological approaches to Late Iron Age human remains have become more and more important for anthropological and archaeological research (Knipper et al 2014;Koon and Nicholls 2016;Le Huray and Schutkowski 2005;Lightfoot et al 2015;Moghaddam et al 2016;Naumann et al 2014;Oelze et al 2012;Redfern et al 2010). Due to the poor preservation of many Iron Age skeletons and the lack of written sources from that time, stable isotope analyses provide important new insights into the Iron Age dietary and migration patterns (Le Huray et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A bioarchaeological approach to the Iron Age in Switzerland: stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human remains

Moghaddam

Müller

Lösch

2016

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In Switzerland, a large number of Iron Age burial sites were found in the last century. Changes in living conditions and socio-cultural behavior may have occurred over time and space and could be reflected in the dietary habits, social stratigraphy within populations and migration patterns. This study attempts to shed light on these aspects with the application of stable isotope analyses. Human remains from 11 different burial sites (n = 164) in the area of today's Swiss Plateau and Swiss Alpine regions were investigated. Temporal and geographical variations as well as sex and age-related dietary differences were analyzed through isotopic studies (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ 34 S). In total, the data of 129 individuals could be evaluated. Highly significant differences between the burial sites were found, with higher δ 13 C and δ 15 N values in the Alpine regions. Cultural and/or climatic changes as well as the different geological conditions might have led to distinct patterns of crop cultivation and animal husbandry and consequently to significantly different dietary habits in the Plateau and the Alpine regions. The data indicate a higher intake of millet and animal protein including early dairy production in the southern regions, probably influenced by the Mediterranean world.Cultural exchange between geographical regions might have been facilitated by migration during the Iron Age as suggested by the δ 34 S.

show abstract

Section: Consumption Of Millet In Late Iron Age Switzerlandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A bioarchaeological approach to the Iron Age in Switzerland: stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human remains

Moghaddam

Müller

Lösch

2016

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…C 4 grains such as foxtail millet ( Setaria italica ) and broomcorn millet ( Panicum miliaceum ) are among the earliest domesticated crops in East Asia (China, Japan, Russia, India, and Korea) at around 10.000 calibrated years bp (Lu et al, ). Early isotopic studies in Europe identified millets in association with Iron Age and Bronze Age contexts (Le Huray & Schutkowski, ; Lightfoot, Liu, & Jones, ; Lightfoot, Šlaus, Šikanjić, & O'Connell, ; Murray & Schoeninger, ), with the earliest evidence registered so far coming precisely from Olmo di Nogara (Tafuri et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Early isotopic studies in Europe identified millets in association with Iron Age and Bronze Age contexts (Le Huray & Schutkowski, 2005;Lightfoot, Liu, & Jones, 2013;Lightfoot, Šlaus, Šikanjić, & O'Connell, 2015;Murray & Schoeninger, 1988), with the earliest evidence registered so far coming precisely from Olmo di Nogara (Tafuri et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating C₄ plant consumption in Bronze Age Northeastern Italy through stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen

Tafuri

Rottoli

Cupitó

et al. 2018

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The application of biomolecular techniques for the study of food practices in the Italian Bronze Age has revealed an interesting complexity. This is particularly true for the Po plain, in northern Italy, where the use of “alternative” grains (i.e., the millets) has been assessed isotopically through the measurement of stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios in human and animal bone collagen at the site of Olmo di Nogara (Verona). This work provides new isotopic data from 12 Early, Middle, and Late Bronze Age sites from western Veneto and Friuli. Data obtained contribute to the understanding of mode and tempo of the spread of new crops in northeastern Italy, which appears to be a hotspot for the study of Bronze Age farming economies in Europe. We have successfully analyzed 146 specimens to find that δ13C values are higher, in a way that we interpret as indicative of C4 plant consumption. Four of the sites analyzed, with a specific chronological indication, show this evidence. We explain this phenomenon as the result of a discontinuous spread of new crops in northeastern Italy at a very specific moment of the Bronze Age. The data presented might call for a reconsideration of food production and consumption among Bronze Age groups of southern Europe.

show abstract

“…At the Glauberg, higher d 13 C values for many of the individuals who did not receive regular burial suggest consumption of millet, a C 4 plant, while the Glauberg prince lacks evidence for contribution of C 4 plants to his diet (Knipper et al 2014). Even though one should be cautious about intertemporal evaluations of food components, it is worth noting that millet was considered a substandard grain in different societies (Killgrove and Tykot 2013;Lightfoot et al, forthcoming).…”

Section: Dietary Characteristics Of the High-status Individualsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Superior in Life—Superior in Death

Knipper¹,

Held²,

Fecher³

et al. 2015

Current Anthropology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Metals and millets: Bronze and Iron Age diet in inland and coastal Croatia seen through stable isotope analysis

Cited by 35 publications

References 29 publications

A bioarchaeological approach to the Iron Age in Switzerland: stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human remains

A bioarchaeological approach to the Iron Age in Switzerland: stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human remains

Estimating C₄ plant consumption in Bronze Age Northeastern Italy through stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen

Superior in Life—Superior in Death

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Metals and millets: Bronze and Iron Age diet in inland and coastal Croatia seen through stable isotope analysis

Cited by 35 publications

References 29 publications

A bioarchaeological approach to the Iron Age in Switzerland: stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human remains

A bioarchaeological approach to the Iron Age in Switzerland: stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human remains

Estimating C4 plant consumption in Bronze Age Northeastern Italy through stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen

Superior in Life—Superior in Death

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Estimating C₄ plant consumption in Bronze Age Northeastern Italy through stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen