Stable isotope evidence of diet breadth expansion and regional dietary variation among Middle-to-Late Holocene Hunter-Gatherers of Central California

Abstract

Previous stable isotope research on Middle-to-Late Holocene (6600 cal BP-present) hunter-gatherers of Central California has documented significant regional variation in human paleodiets between the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley. In general, this geographically-patterned dietary variation tracks greater consumption of marine food resources in the Bay Area and greater consumption of freshwater and terrestrial food resources in the Central Valley. Using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bone collagen, stable carbon isotopes of bone bioapatite, and a large series of AMS dates (5420-2975 cal BP), we examine human paleodiets in 238 burials from CA-CCO-548 (Marsh Creek), located near the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, in Central California. Isotopic results support archaeofaunal and paleobotanical findings regarding the dietary importance of terrestrial C 3 -resources (e.g., artiodactyls, small seeds, acorns) and freshwater fish. The results further indicate that marine resources were of minor importance and could have been acquired from brackish areas near the mouth of the San Francisco Bay estuary located 9 km away or through trade. Although carbon and nitrogen isotopes of bone collagen suggest continuity in the sources of dietary protein over time. Carbon isotopes of bone bioapatite demonstrate a significant temporal shift toward greater consumption of C 3 plant resources, such as acorns and small seeds, consistent with resource intensification models. The paleodiet of the CA-CCO-548 population is similar to contemporaneous groups located to the south and northwest, but is distinct from groups within the Delta and San Francisco Bay Area.

How ancestral subsistence strategies solve salmon starvation and the “protein problem” of Pacific Rim resources

“…In most of the above cases it is impossible to know how much of the protein component comes from salmon relative to other marine resources, but their non‐marine protein values are high enough to suggest fat‐rich terrestrial meat was a major source of calories alongside fat‐poor stored salmon. Perhaps the most surprising result here are the isotopic samples showing little or no consumption of salmon in places where salmon has traditionally been thought to have been a dietary mainstay: the Sacramento River, minor tributaries of the Sacramento drainage, the Sacramento Delta, and parts of the San Francisco Bay (specifically the Late Prehistoric components of the latter) (see Bartelink, 2006, 2009a; Bartelink et al, 2010, 2020; Barton et al, 2020; Eerkens et al, 2013).…”

“…dietary mainstay: the Sacramento River, minor tributaries of the Sacramento drainage, the Sacramento Delta, and parts of the San Francisco Bay (specifically the Late Prehistoric components of the latter) (see Bartelink, 2006Bartelink, , 2009aBartelink et al, 2010Bartelink et al, , 2020Barton et al, 2020;Eerkens et al, 2013).…”

Sex‐biased parental investment and female wealth accumulation in ancientCalifornia

“…However, in Central California, C 4 plants may be ruled-out as a source of protein. Plants utilizing the C 4 photosynthetic pathway are uncommon in California's Mediterranean climate, and were not a significant contributor to the subsistence economy of foragers in the region (Bartelink et al, 2020).…”

Para a infância e mais além: uma perspectiva bioarqueológica da alimentação, estresse e morte em duas sociedades sambaquieiras

“…O consumo de peixes de água-doce, que possui uma grande variação nos valores de δ 13 C, também foi explorado para reconstrução da dieta humana, como os estudos conduzidos por Katzenberg (1989) Bartelink et al, 2020), até áreas mais distantes desses centros, como as Ilhas Fiji (Stantis et al, 2015) e Tonga (Herrscher et al, 2018).…”