High clergy feasts and suburban suppers: Diet and social status in Medieval and Early Modern Tartu, Estonia

Abstract

This study explores the dietary habits of various social groups in Medieval and Early Modern Period Tartu in Estonia. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from bone collagen were measured for 137 humans (115 adults and 22 non-adults) and 50 faunal specimens (including terrestrial mammals, birds, and fish). The results are in keeping with other comparable medieval and early modern European populations and indicate a diet largely based on terrestrial resources. Higher social status individuals from Tartu cathedral consumed significantly more marine protein than those from other burial locations. Dietary habits among commoners did not differ greatly between urban, suburban and rural locations. However, a distinct gender bias was apparent regarding access to higher trophic level protein with males having statistically significantly higher carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios compared to females.