21 research outputs found
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Diet and herding strategies in a changing environment: stable isotope analysis of Bronze Age and Late Antique skeletal remains from Ya'amĹŤn, Jordan
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of 45 human and 23 faunal bone collagen samples were measured to study human diet and the management of domestic herbivores in past Jordan, contrasting skeletal remains from the Middle and Late Bronze Age and the Late Roman and Byzantine periods from the site of Ya'amĹŤn near Irbid. The isotope data demonstrate that the management of the sheep and goats changed over time, with the earlier animals consuming more plants from semi-arid habitats, possibly because of transhumant herding strategies. The isotope data for fish presented here are the first from archaeological contexts from the Southern Levant. Although fish of diverse provenance was available at the site, human diet was predominately based on terrestrial resources and there was little dietary variability within each time-period. Isotopic variation between humans from different time-periods can mostly be explained by âbaseline shiftsâ in the available food sources; however, it is suggested that legumes may have played a more significant role in Middle and Late Bronze Age diet than later on
Biological histories of an elite: Skeletons from the Royal Chapel of Lugo Cathedral (NW Spain)
Direccion Xeral de Patrimonio Historico de Galicia; Xunta de Galicia, Grant/Award Numbers: ED431B 2018/20, ED 431D2017/08, ED481D 2017/014; Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and Beca Leonardo a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2020 de la Fundacion BBVA, Grant/Award Number: PID2019-111683RJ-I00This study aims to reconstruct the biological histories of the people buried at the
Royal Chapel of Lugo Cathedral, an important religious center of NW Spain, by using
anthropological, geochemical, and historical perspectives. We conducted a macroscopic
and radiographic study on 955 skeletal elements, a multi-isotope (δ13Ccol,
δ15N, δ34Scol, δ13Cap, δ18Oap) analysis of human (n = 12) and animal (n = 4) samples,
and the study of 1407 documents from the cathedral archives. There was a minimum
of 15 individuals, including six subadults (<7 years), seven mature males, and one
possible female. Several traumatic healed injuries, a pelvis osteochondroma, and a
case of DISH have been detected. Males were enriched in 15N (up to 15.7â°, Îhumananimal
avg = 5.1â°) suggesting consumption of animal protein including freshwater
fish. Cathedral documents reflect fora payments in the form of rye, eggs, poultry,
sheep, pigs, and eels as well as the hiring of two physicians. All individuals, except
one, lived between the 14th and the early 15th centuries and show characteristics of
high standard of living. Males were likely members of the cathedralâchaplains,
administrators, sacristans, but not bishopsâor noblemen relatives of the former
according to preserved documents. Isotopic and paleopathological study suggest that
they had an active and traveling life and at least one of them had connections with
Central Spain. Children were local and possibly connected to the nobility. Lugo
Cathedral is a prime example about the possibilities of transdisciplinary research in
the identification of lifestyle in past populations.Direccion Xeral de Patrimonio Historico de GaliciaXunta de Galicia
European Commission ED431B 2018/20
ED 431D2017/08
ED481D 2017/014Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and Beca Leonardo a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2020 de la Fundacion BBVA PID2019-111683RJ-I0
Sheep and goat management in the Early Neolithic in the Zagros region (8000â5000 BC):New zooarchaeological and isotopic evidence from Ganj Dareh, Bestansur and Jarmo
The Bodies in the âBogâ : A Multi-Isotope Investigation of Individual Life-Histories at an Unusual 6th/7th AD Century Group Burial from a Roman Latrine at Cramond, Scotland
Open access via springer compact agreement.Funding for the isotopic research was provided to KB and OC by the City of Edinburgh Council the Development Trust Student Fund, University of Aberdeen. The Leverhume Trust (PLP-2019-284 to KB) and the AHRC (award ref: 1775362 to OC) provided financial support during the preparation of this manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
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Sheep and goat management in the early neolithic in the Zagros region (8000-5000 BC): new zooarchaeological and isotopic evidence from Ganj Dareh, Bestansur and Jarmo
The transition from hunter gathering to farming is one of the most important episodes in the history of humankind. Considerable evidence indicates that this shift was a slow, complex, highly localized process, which took place in multiple places in Southwest Asia independently, from around 9500 BC. Caprines were arguably the first domesticated livestock, brought under human control during a process that began in the 9th millennium BC in a region extending from south-eastern Turkey to north-western Iran. In this research we integrate zooarch- aeological analysis with stable isotopic data of faunal remains from three key Early Neolithic sites in the Eastern Fertile Crescent: Ganj Dareh (ca. 8000 BC), Bestansur (ca. 7800â7000 BC) and Jarmo (ca. 7000â5000 BC).While some form of goat management seemed to have been practiced at Bestansur, based on spherulites, dung and shed deciduous teeth, no evidence has been found for winter foddering or transhumance practices. At Ganj Dareh goat were managed, and might have been foddered during the winter or vertical transhumance might have taken place. At Pottery Neolithic Jarmo both sheep and goat were managed and they were possibly brought to higher elevations during the summer months or foddered during winter. This research has supported the idea that already during early stages of goat management, humans kept a high degree of control over the population
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A multidisciplinary approach for investigating dietary and medicinal habits of the Medieval population of Santa Severa (7th-15th centuries, Rome, Italy)
A multidisciplinary approach, combining stable isotope analysis from bone proteins and investigations on dental calculus using DNA analysis, light microscopy, and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, was applied to reconstruct dietary and medicinal habits of the individuals recovered in the cemetery of the Castle of Santa Severa (7th-15th centuries CE; Rome, Italy). Stable isotope analysis was performed on 120 humans, 41 faunal specimens and 8 charred seeds. Dental calculus analyses were carried out on 94 samples. Overall, isotope data indicated an omnivorous diet based on C3-terrestrial protein, although some individuals possessed carbon values indicative of C4 plant consumption. In terms of animal protein, the diet was probably based on cattle, sheep, pig and chicken products, as witnessed by the archaeozoological findings. Evidence from calculus suggested the consumption of C3 cereals, Fabaceae, Fagaceae, milk and dairy products. Secondary metabolites of herbs and wine were also detected. The detection of marine fish ancient DNA, as well as of Ď3 fatty acids in calculus, hypothesized the consumption of marine foodstuffs for this coastal population, despite the lack of a clear marine isotopic signal and the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in plant tissues. Moreover, the knowledge of ethnopharmacological tradition and the application of medicinal plants (e.g. Punica granatum L., Ephedra sp. L.) were also identified. The detection of artemisinin, known to have antimalarial properties, led to hypothesize the presence of malaria in the area. Altogether, the combined application of microscopy and biomolecular techniques provided an innovative reconstruction of Medieval lifeways in Central Italy
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The late Roman field army in Northern Britain? Mobility, material culture and multi-isotope analysis at Scorton (N. Yorks)
At Hollow Banks Quarry, Scorton, located just north of Catterick (N Yorks.), a highly unusual group of 15 late Roman burials was excavated between 1998 and 2000. The small cemetery consists of almost exclusively male burials, dated to the fourth century. An unusually large proportion of these individuals was buried with crossbow brooches and belt fittings, suggesting that they may have been serving in the late Roman army or administration and may have come to Scorton from the Continent. Multi-isotope analyses (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and strontium) of nine sufficiently well-preserved individuals indicate that seven males, all equipped with crossbow brooches and/or belt fittings, were not local to the Catterick area and that at least six of them probably came from the European mainland. Dietary (carbon and nitrogen isotope) analysis only of a tenth individual also suggests a non-local origin. At Scorton it appears that the presence of crossbow brooches and belts in the grave was more important for suggesting non-British origins than whether or not they were worn. This paper argues that cultural and social factors played a crucial part in the creation of funerary identities and highlights the need for both multi-proxy analyses and the careful contextual study of artefacts
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Carbon stable isotope analysis of cereal remains as a way to reconstruct water availability: preliminary results
Reconstructing past water availability, both as rainfall and irrigation, is important to answer questions about the way society reacts to climate and its changes and the role of irrigation in the development of social complexity. Carbon stable isotope analysis of archaeobotanical remains is a potentially valuable method for reconstructing water availability. To further define the relationship between water availability and plant carbon isotope composition and to set up baseline values for the Southern Levant, grains of experimentally grown barley and sorghum were studied. The cereal crops were grown at three stations under five different irrigation regimes in Jordan. Results indicate that a positive but weak relationship exists between irrigation regime and total water input of barley grains, but no relationship was found for sorghum. The relationship for barley is site-specific and inter-annual variation was present at Deir âAlla, but not at Ramtha and Khirbet as-Samra
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What can crop stable isotopes ever do for us? An experimental perspective on using crop carbon stable isotope values for reconstructing water availability in semi-arid and arid environments
This study re-assesses and refines the use of crop carbon stable isotopes (Î13C) to reconstruct past water availability. Durum wheat, six-row barley, and sorghum were experimentally grown at three crop growing stations in Jordan for up to three years under five different irrigation regimes: 0% (rainfall only), 40%, 80%, 100%, and 120% of the cropsâ optimum water requirements. Results show large variation in carbon stable isotopes for crops that received similar amounts of water, either as absolute water input or as percentage of crop requirements. We conclude that C3 crop carbon stable isotope composition can therefore be best interpreted in terms of extremely high values showing an abundance of water versus low values indicating water-stress. Values in between these extremes are problematic and best interpreted in conjunction with other proxies. C4 crop isotopes were not found to be useful for the reconstruction of water availability
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