Analysis of dietary habits in a prehistoric coastal population from İkiztepe, North Turkey, using stable isotopes of Carbon, Nitrogen, and sulphur

Irvine, Benjamin; Erdal, Yılmaz Selim

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.102067

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Finally, we found differences among individuals that share the same set of available resources given their geographical location (Figure 6), particularly for South Mendoza and Southwest forest where there is evidence of higher human density during the Middle‐Late Holocene than in the North Neuquén (Cobos et al, 2022), as well as more diversity of species available for human consumption (Figure 1b). Although inter‐individual variation has been widely covered by examples in ecology (e.g., Araújo et al, 2011; Bolnick et al, 2003) and in the archaeology of complex, resource‐producing societies (e.g., Irvine & Erdal, 2020; Kinaston et al, 2013; Kusaka et al, 2010), it remains less explored in hunter‐gatherer bioarchaeology, and virtually unexplored in Northwest Patagonia. In these last cases, the analysis of diet variation in the literature implicitly assumes that individuals within populations had equal access to all resources consumed by the populations in these areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet composition and prey choice in prehistoric human individuals from Northwest Patagonia: An application of species distribution and isotope mixing models

Moscardi

Bernal

Araújo

et al. 2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives Ancient hunter‐gatherer diets were heterogeneous, varying substantially across time and space, and frequently showing considerable intrapopulation variation. The diet composition of these human groups depended primarily on resource availability, but also on the active selection of certain prey due to different bio‐cultural factors. In this context, we explore resource availability, diet composition, and prey choice in the human populations of the Middle‐Late Holocene from Northwest Patagonia. Material and Methods We employ species distribution models using current and zooarchaeological data to estimate species availability throughout Northwest Patagonia, and we use Bayesian stable isotope mixing models on a large number of samples to analyze human diet composition at the individual level during the Middle‐Late Holocene. Finally, we calculate a prey selectivity index to address the different dietary choices of human individuals in the region. Results Our results show large differences in species available for consumption throughout the region, as well as a high dietary variation between human individuals, which is mainly related to their spatial location. Some species, such as guanaco, were widely distributed and consumed in the region. Notably, species of small mammals were actively selected in several areas, indicating greater importance in human diets than previously appreciated. Discussion Species availability does not appear as the only factor driving human diets in the region, since prey choice seems to have been a recurring phenomenon among these populations. The novel approach used in this study overcomes several limitations of previous studies employing isotopic analysis in prehistoric human diets, allowing new insights into the bioarchaeology of the region.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet composition and prey choice in prehistoric human individuals from Northwest Patagonia: An application of species distribution and isotope mixing models

Moscardi

Bernal

Araújo

et al. 2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Moreover, this trend continued into the Chalcolithic period and Bronze age (ca. 2200 cal BC) (Pickard et al, 2016;Styring et al, 2017;Irvine and Erdal, 2020; Table 3). These findings are similar to those at Bronze Age sites in the Balkans, where agriculture spread from the Near East (Vaughan et al, 2013).…”

Section: Isotopic Compositions In Pigs In the Prehistoric Near East I...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pig management in the Neolithic Near East and East Asia clarified with isotope analyses of bulk collagen and amino acids

Itahashi

2022

Front. Ecol. Evol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The chemical analysis of animal bones from ancient sites has become a common approach in archeological research investigating animal utilization and domestication by past humans. Although several chemical indicators have been used to determine pig management practices in ancient societies, one indicator that can clarify human-animal relationships in the early stages of domestication is the change in the animal’s diet from its wild diet, which can be detected using isotope analysis of its bones. Omnivores, such as boars, are assumed to have shared foods with humans as their interaction increased, and a shift in the isotopic (carbon and nitrogen) compositions of their bone collagen toward humans are considered evidence of domestication. This approach has found evidence of early-stage pig management with human leftovers and feces in prehistoric East Asia, including in Neolithic China, Korea and Japan. However, in the Near East, one of the origins of animal domestication, even individual animals considered to be domesticated pigs according to zooarcheological data (such as morphological characteristics and mortality patterns) display isotopic compositions of bulk collagen that differ from those of humans but are close to those of herbivores. This result indicates that these pigs were fed special foods, such as legumes, rather than human leftovers or feces. However, the carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of the bulk collagen of herbivores found at the same sites showed huge variations, so the interpretation of the pigs’ diet is consequently unclear. In this study, a compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis was used to clarify the pig diet and management strategies unique to the Neolithic Near East, Turkey and Syria, together with a carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bulk collagen. This study examines the diversity of pig management techniques in early agricultural societies and their relationship with the availability of other domestic animals and farming practices.

show abstract

“…Besides the remains of terrestrial animals, a large number of fish vertebra were also found at the settlement (Alkım et al, 2003). However, the stable isotope analyses have determined that marine and/or aquatic resources were either not consumed by the _ Ikiztepe people, or in small amounts, or very irregularly (Irvine et al, 2019;Irvine & Erdal, 2020a). The archeobotanical data indicate that the most ubiquitous grain was emmer wheat followed by einkorn and bread wheat and barley.…”

Section: Carbohydrate Versus Protein Intakementioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstruction of dietary habits in the Early Bronze Age of Anatolia through the analysis of dental caries and wear

Koruyucu

Erdal

2021

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Studies have shown that there is a direct and strong relationship between dental pathology, dietary habits, and subsistence economies. Dental caries, the most frequently used bioanthropological data source for determining the dietary habits of past people, provides considerable information about the types of foods predominantly consumed. On the other hand, analyzing dental wear provides an insight into food preparation techniques. In this study, the dental caries and wear on the dentition of individuals from _ Ikiztepe, Bakla Tepe, and Titris ¸Höyük, dated to the Late Chalcolithic (3500-3000 BC) and the Early Bronze Age (3100-2000 BC), were analyzed to examine potential differences in their dietary habits. The highest caries frequency was observed at Bakla Tepe (10%), followed by _ Ikiztepe with 6.8% and then Titris ¸Höyük with 4.2%. Stable isotope analyses previously carried out on the same populations suggest a homogenous, predominantly terrestrial C 3 -based mixed diet.However, statistically significant differences in caries frequencies and caries surface and depth scores suggest that there are interpopulation differences regarding the amount of carbohydrate and protein in their diet. The dental wear of all populations can be considered as slight, which indicates the consumption of well-processed, soft, and fine-grained foods. However, _ Ikiztepe, with the highest mean value of dental wear (x ¯: 3.14), is an exception within the sample populations (Bakla Tepe: 2.93; Titris Ḩöyük:2.85) examined in this study. Differences in the economic and ecological characteristics of these settlements were effective in explaining the differences observed in dental caries and wear. Although C 3 -based foods were common for all of the populations, the relative amount they were consumed is likely different for each sample population, suggesting heterogeneity within and between populations with regard to consumed resources.

show abstract

Analysis of dietary habits in a prehistoric coastal population from İkiztepe, North Turkey, using stable isotopes of Carbon, Nitrogen, and sulphur

Cited by 6 publications

References 35 publications

Diet composition and prey choice in prehistoric human individuals from Northwest Patagonia: An application of species distribution and isotope mixing models

Diet composition and prey choice in prehistoric human individuals from Northwest Patagonia: An application of species distribution and isotope mixing models

Pig management in the Neolithic Near East and East Asia clarified with isotope analyses of bulk collagen and amino acids

Reconstruction of dietary habits in the Early Bronze Age of Anatolia through the analysis of dental caries and wear

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About