Archaeological research has informed on the lifeways of Newfoundland’s past
Amerindian populations, but their subsistence practices are still poorly understood,
particular with respect to the roles played by marine and terrestrial resources. To
investigate Amerindian diet, isotope ratios (δ¹³Ccoll, δ¹⁵Ncoll) were measured in 86
skeletons from the Maritime Archaic site of Port au Choix-3 (4500 – 4000 cal B.P.), and
in 29 skeletons from 12 Recent Indian/Beothuk sites (AD 1000 – 1800). Whole dietary
carbon was estimated by measuring carbon isotopes in the enamel of 12 Beothuk
skeletons. The Maritime Archaic sample was characterized by the presence of at least two
subsistence patterns: one marine-based, and the other mixed marine-terrestrial. These
patterns may relate to geographic origin, or to biosocial categories. Recent
Indian/Beothuk diet was revealed to be predominantly mixed marine-terrestrial in origin,
but characterized by increasing amounts of terrestrial foods in the late historic period