Reconstructing past lifeways of Indigenous individuals in pre-colonial Bonaire, through multi-isotope analysis

Abstract

Archaeological research in the Caribbean has been extensive and has revealed that, since its first settlement, the region has been characterized by continuous interaction between its inhabitants. However, there are certain areas, like the islands of the southern Caribbean (islands off the Venezuelan coast), that are understudied, despite being a source of information regarding connections with the South American mainland. The aim of this research is to investigate the lifeways of eight individuals from the island of Bonaire through isotopic data to identify non-locals, and to examine dietary patterns within the site. In order to establish the residential histories of the eight individuals, strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ18Ο) isotopes from the dental enamel were analyzed. The results were evaluated based on existing isotopic baselines and indicate that all eight individuals can be considered isotopically local. In order to investigate patterns of paleodiet, carbon isotopes from the dental enamel (δ13Cen) and carbon (δ13Ccol) and nitrogen isotopes (δ15Ncol) from the dental dentin were also analyzed. Four out of the eight individuals provided results and interestingly, despite the small sample size, they had variable dietary preferences, suggesting a combination of different plants and animal resources were consumed.