Stable Isotope Analysis of Bone Collagen, Bone Apatite, and Tooth Enamel in the Reconstruction of Human Diet

Infrared and Isotopic Evidence for Diagenesis of Bone Apatite at Dos Pilas, Guatemala: Palaeodietary Implications

“…According to Lee-Thorp et al's (1989) model, this spacing falls squarely in the range of carnivorous diets, an unexpected result given that the Maya relied heavily on maize. Similar apatite-collagen spacing in Maya skeletal remains has also been noted by Tykot et al (1996), Gerry (1993), andCoyston (1994). However, the spacing varies substantially, ranging from 0·03 to 5·8‰.…”

Bone isotope ratios and their bearing on elite privilege among the Classic Maya

“…In Figure 5, the human isotope ratios are significantly more positive on both carbon and nitrogen axes; the Maya ͳ 13 C (collagen) values average Ϫ10.2 Ϯ 1.32‰ and their ͳ 15 N values average 8.7 Ϯ 1.04‰. In Figure 6, the human dependence on C 4 maize is further emphasized; their average ͳ 13 C (apatite) 5 Conversely, the consumption of dog meat would not be so visible against the isotopic background signature of maize, but Classic period zooarchaeological data from the Petén and Belize indicates that deer and peccary were far more important as dietary resources than were dogs (Wing, 1981:26; also see Tykot et al, 1996).…”

“…As collagen contains the isotopic signal of dietary protein, these numbers either indicate that the dogs, as predators, ate C 4 prey; or that, as domesticated scavengers, they ate human fecal material, another source of C 4 protein (White and Schwarcz, 1989:461). Still, there is little doubt that they were fed maize, or that they were free to scavenge maize food remains from midden deposits (also see Tykot et al, 1996). Their ͳ 13 C (apatite) values, which average at Ϫ5.0‰, also attest to their heavy As these faunal results distinguish so clearly between species with different dietary behavior, they help to formulate expectations for the reconstruction of human diets.…”

“…This treatment promotes the formation of a pseudomorph, which is subsequently left to stand for 24 h in sodium hydroxide for the purpose of removing humic acids. The resultant collagen is freezedried and converted to CO 2 and N 2 gas using one of two methods: Dumas combustion in a Carlo-Erba CHN analyzer (Gerry, 1993:154-155;Tykot et al, 1996), or combustion in sealed quartz tubes followed by cryogenic purification (Schwarcz and Schoeninger, 1991:21). Replicate data indicate that these preparatory systems produce reliable and complementary results.…”

Stable carbon isotope signature of ancient maize agriculture in the soils of Motul de San José, Guatemala

“…We can perceive the importance of maize to the ancient Maya through their frequent representation of it in their figurative art, which depicts its use as food and as a part of their rich ritual life that included the worship of a maize god (Taube, 1985). In recent years, it has also been possible to demonstrate directly the importance of maize as a food staple through carbon isotopic analysis ( 13 C/ 12 C ratios) of archaeological human bones from Maya sites (White and Schwarcz, 1989;Wright, 1994Wright, , 1997Tykot et al, 1996;Wright and White, 1996). From these studies it is apparent that maize supplied the majority of the carbon atoms in the diet of the Classic Maya during all periods of occupation.…”