Dietary investigation by trace element content in bones of ancient inhabitants of Northern Italy

Busetto, Maurizio; Brandone, A.; Cattaneo, Camilla; Mazzucchi, Alessandra

doi:10.1007/s10967-007-7070-x

Cited by 11 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…soil) and is reduced in the trophic levels from the bottom to the top. The living omnivore therefore displays elemental concentration levels in the range of 150-400µg/g which is between the values of herbivore (400-500µg/g) and carnivore (150-400µg/g) (Giorgi et al, 2005;Busetto et al, 2008). Sr/Ca ratio also follows the same pattern, and the rate is lower in the carnivore than in the herbivore.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…Thus, seemingly Sr, Zn, and Mg levels are important for this study. Bivariate analysis of elements with calcium was then used to normalize the element concentration, based on the principle that, if diagenesis had occurred, it affected both the calcium matrix and trace elements in the same way (Corti et al, 2013;Busetto et al, 2008;Giorgi et al, 2005).…”

Section: Discussion Diagenesis Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Concerning the protein components of the diet, Zn/Ca values pointed to a protein-rich diet and rich subsistence economy for Level 4 adults based on the proposed values by Giorgi et al (2005) and Busetto et al (2008) (Table 4). However, the same comparisons support a mixed diet and poor economy for adult individuals from Levels 3 and 5.…”

Section: Diet Reconstructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dietary Changes across the Neolithic Levels of the Tepecik-Çiftlik Population

Özdemir

Akyol

Büyükkarakaya

2017

Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences

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As an important mineral source for the entire organism, bone serves as a useful bioarchive for monitoring past human lifeways like diet, since the concentration of the elements in its structure is influenced by the individual diet. Human and animal bones from three different Neolithic Levels (Level 5, 4, and 3) dated to 6800 and 6100 cal. BC according to the C14 found in Tepecik-Çiftlik, Central Anatolia, were elementally (Ca, P, Mg, Mn, Sr, Zn, Cu, and Pb) investigated by the help of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. The element content of bones refers to post-mortem alteration (diagenesis), especially for manganese and lead. Bivariate treatment of the element with calcium (element/calcium ratio) seems to demonstrate some differences between adult and subadult, male and female, and among levels. Multivariate analysis (PCA and DA) suggests a shift from meat consumption and rich subsistence economy in the lower levels to more vegetable (cereal) consumption and poor economy in the upper level. The results obtained from multivariate treatments are in agreement with the findings of archaeologists and anthropologists who conducted the excavations. Keywords: trace elements, heavy metals, Neolithic populations, paleodiet, ancient bone, central Anatolia Öz Organizma için önemli bir mineral kaynağı olan kemiğin yapısında yer alan elementlerin derişimi beslenmeden etkilenebildiğinden, kemik diyet gibi geçmiş insan yaşam biçimlerini izlemek için yararlı bir biyolojik arşiv görevi görür. Orta Anadolu Bölgesinde yer alan Tepecik-Çiftliğin C14 tarihlemesine göre yaklaşık 6800-6100 yılları arasına tarihlenen üç farklı Neolitik Tabakasından (Seviye 5, 4 ve 3) elde edilen insan ve hayvan kemiklerinin element (Ca, P, Mg, Mn, Sr, Zn, Cu ve Pb) içeriği X-ışını fluoresans (XRF) spektrometrisi yardımıyla incelenmiştir. Kemiklerin element içeriği mangan ve kurşun başta olmak üzere gömü sonrası değişime işaret etmektedir. Elementlerin kalsiyum ile (element/kalsiyum oranı) bivaret analizi yetişkin ile yetişkin yaş altı, kadın ile erkek bireyler ve tabakalar arasında farklılıklar olduğunu göstermiştir. Çok değişkenli analizler (PCA ve DA) alt katmanlarda et tüketiminden ve zengin geçinim ekonomisinden üst tabakada daha fazla bitki (örneğin tahıl) tüketimine ve fakir geçinim ekonomisine geçiş olduğunu göstermektedir. Çok değişkenli incelemelerden elde edilen sonuçlar, kazıları gerçekleştiren arkeologların ve antropologların bulguları ile uyumludur.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Discussion Diagenesis Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Diet Reconstructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Dietary Changes across the Neolithic Levels of the Tepecik-Çiftlik Population

Özdemir

Akyol

Büyükkarakaya

2017

Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences

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“…We can nevertheless exclude strong depletion or enrichment because Ca concentrations in femur samples of the two epochs reflected normal concentrations of human bone (Takata et al, 2005;Busetto et al, 2008) (Fig. 4) and were also higher than those measured in soil samples (Tables 2 and 4).…”

Section: Diagenesismentioning

confidence: 89%

“…We also calculated Sr:Ca and Zn:Ca ratios to use these elements as food markers. Sr and Zn are generally relatively unaffected by diagenesis (Lambert et al, 1983;Price et al, 1985;Sillen, 1981) and are representative of prevalently vegetarian and prevalently carnivorous diets (Lambert, 1984;Sillen and Kavanagh, 1982;Hatch and Geidel, 1985;Busetto et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trace Elements in Eneolithic and Late Medieval Human Bones from Two Archaeological Sites in Tuscany: Evaluation of Diagenetic Processes, Diet and Exposure to Heavy Metals

Bianchi¹,

Moroni²,

Bonucci³

et al. 2017

JAA

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Concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn, Ca, Sr, Al, Fe, Ti, Fe and Mn were determined in bone samples from human skeletons dating back to the Late Medieval Period from Pianosa Island (Grosseto, Italy) and to the Eneolithic (i.e. the Copper Age) from the Lunigiana region (municipality of Cassola, Massa Carrara, Italy), in order to obtain insights into diet, heavy metal contamination and differences in accumulation between humerus and femur. The influence of diagenetic processes, which alter archaeological remains within their burial environment, was evaluated by multivariate statistical analysis, comparing trace element concentrations both in bone and in soil still present in the humerus and femur. This method and Sr:Ca and Zn:Ca ratios provided reliable information on diagenetic processes and diet in the two periods and enabled assessment of accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb).The results indicate that diagenesis did not influence concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Ca or Sr, and that there was no significant difference in accumulation of these elements between humerus and femur. Sr:Ca and Zn:Ca ratios indicated vastly different diets in the two periods. The occurrence of high levels of Cu (1368.64 mg/kg d.w.) in a humerus from the Copper Age sample possibly due to exposure during copper smelting, was a very interesting outcome.

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Nutrition

Donahue¹

2016

A Companion to Science, Technology, and Medicine in Ancient Greece and Rome

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Dietary investigation by trace element content in bones of ancient inhabitants of Northern Italy

Cited by 11 publications

References 10 publications

Dietary Changes across the Neolithic Levels of the Tepecik-Çiftlik Population

Dietary Changes across the Neolithic Levels of the Tepecik-Çiftlik Population

Trace Elements in Eneolithic and Late Medieval Human Bones from Two Archaeological Sites in Tuscany: Evaluation of Diagenetic Processes, Diet and Exposure to Heavy Metals

Nutrition

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