What is on the menu in a Celtic town? Iron Age diet reconstructed at Basel-Gasfabrik, Switzerland

Knipper, Corina; Pichler, Sandra; Rissanen, Hannele; Stopp, Barbara; Kühn, Marlu; Spichtig, Norbert; Röder, Brigitte; Schibler, Jörg; Lassau, Guido; Alt, Kurt W.

doi:10.1007/s12520-016-0362-8

Cited by 41 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…The coprolite and dung residues as well as perhaps the ash components could, therefore, have been used to fertilize the soil. Whether this is the case or not, the botanical analyses and the stable isotopes also suggest that there was intensive garden cultivation within the settlement Basel‐Gasfabrik (Knipper et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is, therefore, likely that herbivore dung was used as a fertilizer in Basel‐Gasfabrik and certain that it was used as a source of fuel. The latter might be due to a lack of firewood within the vicinity of the settlement, since palynological and isotopic results show an open landscape (Guélat & Richard, 2014; Knipper et al, 2017; Wick, 2015). In summary, it can be said that for Iron Age people feces and dung was a resource and not just waste.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Hidden Midden: Geoarchaeological investigation of sedimentation processes, waste disposal practices, and resource management at the La Tène settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik (Switzerland)

et al. 2020

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To interpret artifact assemblages, it is necessary to understand the processes that have formed and influenced them: layer formation processes, cultural practices, and the way resources were used. In this study, we present our results of micromorphologically analyzed pits, ditches, house floors, and occupation layers found within the younger Iron Age settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik. We defined 11 microfacies types and put them into a spatial and stratigraphic context. In addition, we quantify waste categories according to the archaeological features and microfacies types. Our results suggest that some ditches played a role in the spatial organization of the settlement, others were used as water canals. Several pits show a secondary use as roofed construction in the context of handicrafts. In addition, mapping the microfacies types reveals a differentiated use of space. Finally, differences between waste categories are visible. Dung was used as fuel and probably as fertilizer, whereas animal bone fragments and ceramic sherds have been stored on rubbish dumps, where they were available as raw material. These new insights into the use of pits, ditches, and settlement areas as well as the handling of resources provide an important basis for understanding everyday life in the settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Hidden Midden: Geoarchaeological investigation of sedimentation processes, waste disposal practices, and resource management at the La Tène settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik (Switzerland)

et al. 2020

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“…The technique of stable isotope ratio analysis is a frequently used tool to assess dietary habits, to obtain information about social stratification and mobility of past populations (Dupras and Schwarcz 2001;Fuller et al 2012;Jay et al 2013;Jay and Richards 2006;Katzenberg 2008;Knipper et al 2016;Lösch et al 2006).…”

Section: Stable Isotope Analyses: the Reconstruction Of Diet And Migrmentioning

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

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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.

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“…At least at La Bastida, children of two years and older did not exhibit any increased δ 15 N and δ 13 C values anymore, which indicates that breastmilk consumption has ceased to be the dominant food source of children before that age. At Gatas, the slightly elevated δ 15 N value of the two to three year old individual GA 38 does not necessarily imply prolonged breastfeeding, because skull bones have slower turnover rates and may retain the nursing signal longer than ribs that were sampled for most other individuals [62,96,97].…”

Section: Early Childhood Dietsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing Bronze Age diets and farming strategies at the early Bronze Age sites of La Bastida and Gatas (southeast Iberia) using stable isotope analysis

et al. 2020

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The El Argar society of the Bronze Age in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula (2200-1550 cal BCE) was among the first complex societies in Europe. Its economy was based on cereal cultivation and metallurgy, it was organized hierarchically, and successively expanded its territory. Most of the monumentally fortified settlements lay on steeply sloped mountains, separated by fertile plains, and allowed optimal control of the area. Here, we explore El Argar human diets, animal husbandry strategies, and food webs using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of charred cereal grains as well as human and animal bone collagen. The sample comprised 75 human individuals from the sites of La Bastida (n = 52) and Gatas (n = 23), 32 domesticated and wild animals as well as 76 barley and 29 wheat grains from two chronological phases of a total time span of ca. 650 years. The grains indicate extensive cereal cultivation under rain-fed conditions with little to moderate application of manure. Especially at La Bastida, crops and their by-products contributed significantly to the forage of the domesticated animals, which attests to a strong interrelation of cultivation and animal husbandry. Trophic level spacing and Bayesian modelling confirm that human diets were largely based on barley with some contribution of meat or dairy products. A cross-sectional analysis of bone collagen suggests that children were breastfed until about 1.5-2 years old, and infants from Gatas may have suffered from more metabolic stress than those at La Bastida. Adults of both sexes consumed similar diets that reflect social and chronological variation to some extent. Despite significantly higher δ 13 C and

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What is on the menu in a Celtic town? Iron Age diet reconstructed at Basel-Gasfabrik, Switzerland

Cited by 41 publications

References 72 publications

The Hidden Midden: Geoarchaeological investigation of sedimentation processes, waste disposal practices, and resource management at the La Tène settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik (Switzerland)

The Hidden Midden: Geoarchaeological investigation of sedimentation processes, waste disposal practices, and resource management at the La Tène settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik (Switzerland)

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

Reconstructing Bronze Age diets and farming strategies at the early Bronze Age sites of La Bastida and Gatas (southeast Iberia) using stable isotope analysis

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