How royals feasted in the court of Pedro I of Castile: A contribution of stable isotope study to medieval history

Abstract

Study of the human remains of King Pedro I of Castile (1334–1369), his wife Queen Maria of Padilla (c. 1334–1361), and three other members of his family offered the possibility to investigate the diet of an elite in the medieval Iberian Peninsula by analyzing δ15N and δ13C values in collagen samples of their bones. Two medieval archeological samples were selected for comparative purposes: a Christian sample (n=5) from Palacios de la Sierra (Burgos), and a Muslim sample (n=5) from La Torrecilla (Granada). Results obtained were compared with published data on other medieval populations of the Iberian Peninsula with the aim of improving knowledge on the diet of medieval populations, especially elite groups. Differences in the consumption of C3 and C4 plants were observed between Christians and Muslims, as previously reported. δ15N values indicated social class differences. The diet of the Royal Family was characterized by mainly C3 plants and an extremely high animal protein intake characteristic of carnivores. These results are consistent with historical data on the life circumstances of this family.