Stable Isotope Analysis of Ten Individuals from Afetna, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

Abstract

Samples of archaeological human skeletons from excavations at Afetna, Saipan, were analysed for δ 15N and δ 13C. The marine resources identified in the Afetna site appear to have been derived almost exclusively from the coastal lagoonal environment and the isotope analysis was expected to confirm this interpretation. The proportion of marine resources in the Afetna diet, as indicated by the 13C and 15N values, is greater than has been indicated by traditional faunal analysis, suggesting some exploitation of the open ocean.