Bone Collagen Stable Carbon Research Articles

Compound specific isotope evidence points to use of freshwater resources as weaning food in Middle Neolithic Paris Basin

ObjectivesA clear understanding of past weaning practices can provide invaluable insights into social issues such as infant care, fertility rate, and demographic patterns in past societies. This study presents the first archeological research employing compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) for the reconstruction of past weaning practices.MethodsWeaning practices of two Middle Neolithic communities in the Paris Basin region: Balloy (BLR) and Vignely (VPB), are evaluated by combining previously published bone collagen stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur (n = 66) isotope analysis with new compound specific carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions of bone collagen (n = 10).ResultsOur results demonstrate that the diets of individuals from BLR and VPB likely incorporated freshwater resources. The signals of freshwater resources consumption are even stronger among subadults, suggesting that freshwater resources were used as weaning food at these sites.ConclusionsThe implications of our result are threefold. Currently many CSIA studies in archeology only involve either carbon or nitrogen. Our data shows that it is important to conduct CSIA on both carbon and nitrogen for a more integrated picture. Secondly, our data demonstrates that the use of a protein‐based weaning food—instead of a starch‐based weaning food (such as cereal gruel)—was likely more prevalent among the Middle Neolithic communities in the Paris Basin Region than previously thought. The finding thus prompts a rethinking of the role of protein‐based weaning food in other archeological contexts. Lastly, the common assumption that weaning foods and adult diets share similar isotopic compositions can be problematic, as the use of protein‐based, high trophic‐level weaning foods can skew the δ 15N weaning curve and produce an erroneously late estimation for weaning ages.

The grandeur of death – Monuments, societies, and diets in middle Neolithic Paris Basin

This study investigates the relationship between monumental funerary structures, social organizations, and diets in Middle Neolithic France. Focusing on the Cerny culture based in the Paris Basin region, we analysed and compared bone collagen stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope values of 113 individuals from three different types of Cerny cemeteries: the Passy type (Cerny STP), slab burials (Cerny Slab), and burials without major superstructure (Cerny Flat). Published stable isotopic data from one other Cerny Flat and two contemporaneous non-Cerny cemeteries (n = 140), together with new and published faunal isotopic data (n = 267) from across six different river valleys in the region are also included in the analysis. The results of this study have shown that (1) the Cerny diet was likely rich in animal protein; (2) comparing to all other cemetery types, Cerny STP sites were considerably homogenous isotopically and culturally, and (3) individuals buried in aberrant funerary arrangements tend to have outlying isotopic compositions, suggesting strong correlations between diets and burial practices. Interestingly, as oppose to the distinctly sex-related funerary arrangements, no obvious pattern can be observed in the isotopic compositions between males and females in Cerny cemeteries.

Temporal and spatial variability of bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios of Norwegian reindeer

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) bones from three Norwegian modern wild reindeer populations (Setesdal Ryfylke, Hardangervidda and Rondane) were used to investigate variations in δ13C and δ15N between, and within, populations. Each of these reindeer populations lives in different climatic and environmental conditions, thus vegetation and climatic conditions could be linked to their stable isotopic signature. Reindeer bones from several archaeological sites on Hardangervidda representing three chronological ranges (275–350 CE, 11th, and 13th century CE) were then analysed for their stable isotopic composition. No statistically significant differences were found within the populations, but the stable isotopic values differed between populations. Subsequently, these stable isotopic values were used to infer modern climatic conditions to sub-fossil palaeoenvironmental conditions on Hardangervidda.

Aztec diets at the residential site of San Cristobal Ecatepec through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bone collagen

This paper presents the first systematic study of Aztec diets using bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. The objective was to identify the dietary patterns of an Aztec community living in the Basin of Mexico. The collection analyzed includes adult and subadult skeletons from the residential site of San Cristobal Ecatepec (in present-day Mexico State) (A.D. 900–1521). The isotopic data were compared with available ethnohistoric and archeological information about Aztec diets. We conclude that Ecatepec residents consumed mostly C4 and CAM plants (as opposed to C3 plants), terrestrial animals, and some lacustrine resources. They shared similar diets and foodways, as indicated by the fact that they belonged to the same socio-economic group and that there were no substantial sex-based differences indicated by the isotopic data. The slightly higher carbon isotope compositions of the men compared with the women could be evidence of pulque consumption by the men—as noted in the ethnohistoric record. The nitrogen isotope compositions of the subadults, however, show some variability related to breastfeeding and weaning practices, with infants weaning between 2 and 4 years of age.

Quality control for modern bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements

Abstract Isotopic analyses of collagen, the main protein preserved in subfossil bone and tooth, has long provided a powerful tool for the reconstruction of ancient diets and environments. Although isotopic studies of contemporary ecosystems have typically focused on more accessible tissues (e.g. muscle, hair), there is growing interest in the potential for analyses of collagen because it is often available in hard tissue archives (e.g. scales, skin, bone, tooth), allowing for enhanced long‐term retrospective studies. The quality of measurements of the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of ancient samples is subject to robust and well‐established criteria for detection of contaminants and diagenesis. Among these quality control (QC) criteria, the most widely utilized is the atomic C:N ratio (C:NAtomic), which for ancient samples has an acceptable range between 2.9 and 3.6. While this QC criterion was developed for ancient materials, it has increasingly being applied to collagen from modern tissues. Here, we use a large survey of published collagen amino acid compositions (n = 436) from 193 vertebrate species as well as recent experimental isotopic evidence from 413 modern collagen extracts to demonstrate that the C:NAtomic range used for ancient samples is not suitable for assessing collagen quality of modern and archived historical samples. For modern tissues, collagen C:NAtomic falling outside 3.00–3.30 for fish and 3.00–3.28 for mammals and birds can produce systematically skewed isotopic compositions and may lead to significant interpretative errors. These findings are followed by a review of protocols for improving C:NAtomic criteria for modern collagen extracts. Given the tremendous conservation and environmental policy‐informing potential that retrospective isotopic analyses of collagen from contemporary and archived vertebrate tissues have for addressing pressing questions about long‐term environmental conditions and species behaviours, it is critical that QC criteria tailored to modern tissues are established.

Reconstructing diet at the Neolithic stalled cairn of the Knowe of Rowiegar, Rousay, Orkney, using stable isotope analysis

In this study, human remains from the Neolithic stalled cairn of the Knowe of Rowiegar, Rousay, Orkney (3620–2880cal BC, 95.4% probability), were analysed for bone collagen stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios in order to determine the dietary adaptations of individuals buried at the site, particularly the contribution of marine protein in the diet. Collagen was extracted from bone from 13 individuals (11 males, 1 female, and 1 sub-adult), and stable isotope data generated were compared with previously-published Neolithic Orcadian faunal data, and with human and animal bone collagen isotope data from other published British Neolithic sites. The results from the Knowe of Rowiegar suggest that the dietary protein of those buried at the site was largely terrestrial in origin, which is similar to other British Neolithic bone collagen datasets, albeit with the possible minor inclusion of marine protein. Intra-group comparison highlights the potentially different dietary habits of the single female and sub-adult individuals sampled from the site compared to the interred males. Geographical variations in both humans and animals (particularly in nitrogen isotope ratios) across Britain are examined, and the consumption of marine fish and the influence of herbivore baseline variability in the study of Neolithic human diet are explored.

A Kaurna burial, Salisbury, South Australia: Further evidence for complex late Holocene Aboriginal social systems in the Adelaide region

In 2011 a burial was disturbed during work in Salisbury, a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia (SA). Subsequent archaeological excavation revealed a male human interment in a deep alluvial context with a number of unusual characteristics, including a bone point and several ‘binding’ hearths. A sample of femoral bone was submitted for AMS radiocarbon dating and bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. Dating determined that the burial was relatively recent (380±30 BP), contemporary with proposed shifts in the Kaurna’s economic systems when ‘mound sites’ were inhabited, that is, over the past 1500 years. Stable isotope results indicated the individual consumed a distinct diet based on terrestrial foods, with an absence of marine protein. The location, mode and stratigraphic context of the burial, coupled with the stable isotope results, suggest this individual had a different diet to contemporary Kaurna men. The ethnographic record and knowledge provided by traditional owners suggested that his diet may have been connected to his status and position within Kaurna society as a ‘medicine man’ or ‘sorcerer’.

Domestic dog (Canis familiaris) diets among coastal Late Archaic groups of northeastern North America: A case study for the canine surrogacy approach

The Canine Surrogacy Approach (CSA) is a form of analogy in which stable isotope information from dog remains is used as a proxy for associated human keepers. The approach has garnered increasing attention in recent years due to its capacity to provide information on human diets in contexts where human remains are limited or unavailable. CSA applications have often been conducted on an ad hoc basis and rarely has the human–dog analogy been treated systematically or cohesively. This case study aims to remedy this issue. Using a recently developed CSA interpretive framework (Guiry, 2012), we test the feasibility of using dog bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures as a proxy for their human keepers among two similar marine oriented Late Archaic populations that occupied the northeastern coast of North America. After characterizing the feasibility of CSA applications in these archaeological contexts, the CSA is then used to reconstruct diet at a culturally related site at which no human remains have been recovered.

Stable isotope analysis of well-preserved 120,000-year-old herbivore bone collagen from the Middle Palaeolithic site of Neumark-Nord 2, Germany reveals niche separation between bovids and equids

Herbivores from the Neumark-Nord 2 archaeological site, Germany, were analysed for bone collagen stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios in order to investigate feeding ecology at this early Last Interglacial (Eemian) shallow-lake site. Of 42 faunal samples selected, 23 yielded collagen, demonstrating remarkable preservation for material of this age. The results indicate clear inter-specific differences in δ15N and δ13C values, notably between equids (Equus) and bovids (Bos/Bison), with mean difference Δ15N of +2‰ measured in the bovids compared to the equids. The potential reasons for these differences are explored, including physiology, herbivore feeding ecology, biogeography and resource partitioning within the local environment. The data are compared to previously published archaeological data, and modern experimental and ecological data, suggesting that these inter-specific differences are not consistent and therefore unlikely to be solely the product of physiology or habitual forage preference. Data from this study are compared to the local vegetation (as reconstructed from pollen profiles), and it is suggested that these trends are likely the result of niche partitioning at the shallow lake site, reflecting the local diversity in vegetational zones. The evidence for resource partitioning amongst Pleistocene herbivore communities at Neumark-Nord 2 and elsewhere is discussed. This study represents one of the largest data sets for collagen of this age, and the implications for our understanding of Late Pleistocene herbivore ecology, local herbivore community behaviour and hominin palaeodietary studies are explored.

The Stable- and Radio-Isotope Chemistry of Western Basketmaker Burials: Implications for Early Puebloan Diets and Origins

The timing and degree of reliance on maize agriculture in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest has been a central issue in studies that examine the origins of Puebloan society. Both diffusionist (various, but see Wills 1995) and migrationist (Berry and Berry 1986; Matson 1991) models have been proposed to explain the processes responsible for the movement of maize (Zea mays) north into the Four Corners region. This paper reports bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values with paired accelerator radiocarbon dates on a large collection of human remains from western Basketmaker II/III sites in Marsh Pass and other areas of northeastern Arizona, as well as data on a small number of Puebloan remains including Chacoan Great House burials. The results make clear that Basketmaker II people were heavily dependent on maize by 400 B.C. Moreover, their degree of dependence is similar to that of Pueblo II and III farmers of the Four Corners region. These findings and the apparent rapidity of maize dependence support a migrationist model for the origins of maize farming in the northern Southwest.

A novel marine dietary indicator utilising compound-specific bone collagen amino acid δ 13C values of ancient humans

The application of bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to human palaeodietary reconstruction in tropical or arid regions is limited by two factors: (i) the overlap in C 4 and high marine protein (HMP) consumer bulk collagen δ 13C values, and (ii) the unpredictability of bulk collagen δ 15N values in regions of extreme aridity (<400 mm of rain per annum). Hence, the identification of HMP consumption among archaeological human populations can be problematic. In an endeavour to identify a more precise marine palaeodietary indicator, a range of collagen samples from archaeological faunal and human bone ( n = 14 and 26, respectively), representing a spectrum of C 3, C 4 and HMP diets, were selected from coastal and near-coastal sites in the Western Cape, South Africa. Samples were subjected to compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis of their constituent amino acids as trifluoroacetyl-isopropyl (TFA-IP) esters via gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). While human C 4 and HMP consumers were indistinguishable with respect to bulk collagen δ 13C values (−10.9±3.7‰ and −11.7±1.5‰, respectively) they were shown to be readily distinguished based on Δ 13C Glycine-Phenylalanine values (+4.0±1.6‰ and +12.0±1.9‰, respectively). The relationship between HMP consumption and elevated Δ 13C Glycine-Phenylalanine values was verified by: (i) the similarly elevated values exhibited by marine species when compared to terrestrial faunal species (+12.5±0.9‰ and +3.2±4.2‰, respectively), and (ii) the strong correlation observed between human Δ 13C Glycine-Phenylalanine and bulk collagen δ 15N values ( R 2 = 0.83 , p < 0.001 ; n = 26 ), the latter being a well-documented marine dietary indicator. It was concluded that Δ 13C Glycine-Phenylalanine values offer considerable potential as indicators of HMP consumption and a valuable substitute for bone collagen δ 15N values in arid regions where bulk δ 15N values are unpredictable.

Rancho La Brea stable isotope biogeochemistry and its implications for the palaeoecology of late Pleistocene, coastal southern California

We sampled 143 individuals from Rancho La Brea (RLB) large faunal collections for bone collagen stable carbon ( δ 13C) and nitrogen ( δ 15N) isotope ratios. These collections were recovered from asphalt seeps in the Los Angeles Basin, California, USA, and date from ∼40 to 12 ka. Our findings indicate that despite a slight reduction in collagen nitrogen content, RLB skeletal remains are relatively well preserved and most yield proteins diagnostic of diet. Herbivore δ 13C and δ 15N values covary with rumination and are consistent with changes in late Pleistocene vegetation reconstructed from pollen profiles. We find no evidence for reliance on C 4 grasses at RLB, despite low atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. Carnivore δ 15N values indicate Canis dirus, Smilodon fatalis and Panthera leo atrox competed for similar prey sets and were equally reliant on ruminant and nonruminant prey types. The δ 15N values of Mammut americanum indicate partial reliance on vegetation with lower δ 15N values (such as nitrogen-fixing taxa), distinguishing them from the remainder of the study population. A comparison of RLB and European faunal δ 15N values from the late Pleistocene suggests that coastal southern California experienced greater aridity.

Stable Isotope Analysis and Dental Evidence of Diet at the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Ukraine

Bone collagen stable carbon isotope values obtained from late Mesolithic and earlier Neolithic skeletal remains from the Dnieper Rapids region of Ukraine confirm an overall dietary equivalence occurring across these periods. It appears that human populations consumed fisher–hunter–gatherer diets throughout the periodc .10,000–4500cal- bc, with some limited archaeological evidence for the exploitation of domesticated animals occurring towards the end of this period. The analysis of dental pathologies from both periods establishes the protein-based nature of the dietary regimes. The addition of domesticated fauna towards the end of the Neolithic period, whilst attested by archaeological remains, is essentially invisible to both the palaeopathology and isotopic analyses carried out in this study. No secure evidence for the integration of cereal-based dietary regimes during either period was forthcoming from the study, though the precise nature of the observed variability in the stable isotopic evidence for diet remains to be established.

Late Holocene Climatic Changes Recorded In Macropod Bone Collagen Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopes At Fromms Landing, South Australia

"Late Holocene Climatic Changes Recorded In Macropod Bone Collagen Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopes At Fromms Landing, South Australia." Australian Archaeology, 49(1), pp. 48–49

Stable Carbon and Nitrogen isotope evidence for prehistoric hunter‐gatherer diet in the lower Murray River basin, South Australia

AbstractStable isotope data are making significant contributions to reconstructions of past lifeways by providing information about dietary variability, habitat use, and palaeoecology. Late Holocene hunter‐gatherers from the lower Murray River Basin of South Australia have bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values similar to those for prehistoric lakeshore inhabitants of southern Ontario, Canada. While δ13C values indicate a C3‐based terrestrial diet for this Aboriginal riverine population, the addition of δ15N data provides more precise dietary discrimination suggesting a focus on local terrestrial mammals such as kangaroos, wombats, and dingoes supplemented by freshwater fish, mussels, and crustaceans. Faunal remains from lower Murray rockshelters also indicate diets based on terrestrial mammals and freshwater fish and shellfish during the Late Holocene. Elevated bone collagen δ15N values in the Roonka Flat human population are related to the consumption of local δ15N‐enriched foods such as dingoes, terrestrial herbivores, and freshwater fish. With regard to sedentism and territoriality, the stable isotope data indicate limited movement of food and people between the riverine environment and adjacent arid interior and coastal habitats.

Bone collagen stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes as indicators of past human diet and landscape use in southeastern South Australia

Stable carbon isotope palaeodietary research at the Roonka Flat archaeological site, lower Murray River, South Australia (Pate and Schoeninger 1993; Pate 1995a, 1995b) suggested that there was minimal movement of people and/or food between the inland riverine area and the southeastern coastal and arid interior regions of South Australia during the late Holocene. Other archaeological and physical anthropological data, for example, cemetery and site distributions and numbers and cranial non-metric traits (see Pardoe 1995) also provide evidence for increased sedentism and territoriality in the lower Murray region during the late Holocene. Thus, in some cases, bone chemistry analyses can provide archaeologists with an independent method to assess past human dietary composition, landscape use, sedentism and territoriality. Along with similar bone collagen  I´ 13 C  studies at Broadbeach, Queensland and Swanport, South Australia (Hobson and Collier 1984; Collier and Hobson 1987), the Roonka Flat programme has established stable isotope palaeodietary analyses as a productive research area within Australian archaeology (Pate 1997a). The present paper reports the results of the first application of dual isotope (carbon and nitrogen) palaeodietary analysis to precontact human bone collagen in Australia. The use of stable nitrogen isotopes in addition to carbon isotopes in palaeodietary research via plots of I´ 13 C versus I´ 15 N values for past human diet and potential food sources (cf. Walker and DeNiro 1986; Keegan and DeNiro 1988; Little and Schoeninger 1995) provides better discrimination regarding dietary inferences than single isotope analyses. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values for human bone from the Roonka Flat site are compared with isotopic values for a variety of marine, riverine and terrestrial foods in order to provide additional information regarding the dietary composition of this inland riverine population during the late Holocene.

Bone Chemistry and Paleodiet: Reconstructing Prehistoric Subsistence-Settlement Systems in Australia

This article reviews the results of bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope paleodietary studies conducted in Australia. Stable isotopic analyses of prehistoric human and faunal bones and teeth provide a means to assess past Aboriginal dietary patterns and habitat use, palaeoclimate, and palaeoecology. In some cases, the relative consumption of marine versus terrestrial foods or use of C3- vs C4-based foods within terrestrial ecosystems and access to these various habitats can be inferred from stable isotope values. The relationship between mortuary variability and dietary differences can also be addressed. In addition, stable carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium isotopes can provide information about changes in past rainfall patterns, climate and plant and animal distributions. Thus, stable isotope studies provide an independent method to assist with the reconstruction of prehistoric subsistence-settlement systems, social systems, and palaeoecology. These biochemical data can supplement information obtained from conventional archaeological studies. Potential contributions of stable isotope research to Australian archaeology and future research directions are discussed.

Palaeodietary inferences from bone collagen stable carbon isotopes at Roonka Flat, South Australia

The Roonka Flat archaeological site on the lower Murray River of South Australia provides one of the largest well provenanced prehistoric Aboriginal skeletal populations in Australia. Bone specimens from a large sample of the population were submitted for stable carbon isotope palaeodietary analysis to address: 1. relative access to foods from coastal, riverine and arid interior habitats and 2. dietary variability within the population (Pate 1994a,1994b).

Stable carbon isotope assessment of hunter—Gatherermobility in prehistoric South Australia

Bone collagen stable carbon isotope values for the inland riverine Roonka Flat archaeological population of southeastern South Australia indicate that prehistoric Aboriginal diets were based on local C 3-derived terrestrial foods throughout the Late Holocene. Whereas 91% of the sample had values indicative of a predominantly C 3-based terrestrial diet (X̄ δ 13C= − 20·0 N=41), the remaining 9% had values indicating a mixed diet of C 3- and C 4-derived terrestrial foods and marine foods (X̄ δ 13C= − 16·1 N=4). There were no significant differences between mean δ 13C values for adult males, adult females, and subadults. These bone collagen δ 13C values suggest that there was limited hunter-gatherer mobility between the inland riverine site and adjacent coastal and arid interior habitats during the Late Holocene. Bone collagen stable carbon isotope comparisons with the Early Holocene Roonka Flat population could not be made due to extensive collagen degradation in these older interments.