Dietary changes seen through the isotope analysis of the La Tène burial site of Prosmyky (Bohemia, 4th-3rd century BCE)

Abstract

Dietary reconstruction using carbon and nitrogen isotopes has been applied to the La Tène population buried at Prosmyky, a large cemetery of the 4th-3rd centuries BCE in northwest Bohemia. The analysis of bone collagen from 55 individuals showed a diet that did not differ noticeably from other contemporary sites in the region. However, chronologically sensitive development in diet, with gradually increasing δ13C values, was present, signifying a growing reliance on millet for sustenance through the cemetery’s lifespan. Moreover, a rather unusual higher δ15N in individuals older than ca. 30 years of age was also observed. Possible explanations are examined, along with a comparison with other published data from the region, suggesting the influence of regionally based developments that might be linked with the societal shifts that led towards the Late La Tène period.