Dietary patterns during the early prehispanic settlement in La Gomera (Canary Islands)

Rosa, Manuel Antonio González de la; Gámez-Mendoza, A.; Navarro-Mederos, Juan-Francisco; Hernández-Marrero, Juan Carlos; Fregel, Rosa; Yanes, Yurena; Galindo-Martín, L.; Romanek, Christhopher S.; González‐Reimers, Emilio

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.05.018

Cited by 28 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The focus of this research was to examine how the food economies of these different societies changed through time. Given the fact that the sites were located on islands, it was surprising that all the societies studied exhibited isotopic values indicative of little marine protein consumption, but this is consistent with the low consumption of marine resources on islands that has also been documented on the Canary Islands (Tieszen et al,1992; Arnay‐de‐la‐Rosa et al,2009a) and Majorca (Davis,2002; Van Strydonck et al,2002,2005; Garcia et al,2004) and the Mediterranean in general (Craig et al,2006).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Investigation of diachronic dietary patterns on the islands of Ibiza and formentera, Spain: Evidence from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis

Fuller

Márquez‐Grant

Richards

2010

American J Phys Anthropol

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To examine how dietary patterns may have changed in the western Mediterranean through time, stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were measured on extracted bone collagen from fauna (n = 75) and humans (n = 135) spanning four distinct chronological periods: Chalcolithic (c.2100-1600 BC), Punic (6th-2nd/1st century BC), Late Antiquity-Early Byzantine (4th-7th century AD), and Islamic (c.10th-13th century AD) on the islands of Ibiza and Formentera, Spain. The Chalcolithic, Punic, and Late Antiquity-Byzantine societies all showed evidence of a predominately C(3) terrestrial-based diet with a possible input of a small amount of marine and/or C(4) dietary resources. In contrast, the Islamic population on Ibiza had a subsistence strategy that was reliant on a significant amount of C(4) plants and/or animals fed a C(4) diet, likely millet. These results indicate a fairly constant C(3) terrestrial-based diet on the islands of Ibiza and Formentera through time, with a shift to C(4) dietary resources during the Islamic Period. Further research is needed from other Islamic populations in and around the Mediterranean to better understand this unique dietary adaptation. Am J Phys Anthropol 143:512-522, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Investigation of diachronic dietary patterns on the islands of Ibiza and formentera, Spain: Evidence from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis

Fuller

Márquez‐Grant

Richards

2010

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…Radiocarbon dating has been performed to address the age of the indigenous population of la Gomera, establishing it at its earliest in the 3rd century AD, based on 14 C dates obtained from anthropological remains of recent excavations (Arnay‐de‐la‐Rosa et al, 2009; Fregel et al, 2019). Both historical and archaeological data suggest an early moment of predominant marine food consumption, along with the occupation of coastal areas, later substituted by an increase in pastoralist resources and the occupation of the whole island, especially in later periods (Hernández‐Marrero & Navarro‐Mederos, 2011; Navarro‐Mederos, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The “Acceso al Pescante de Vallehermoso” site is the only funerary deposit on the whole island that has been studied with modern techniques due to its recent discovery (Arnay‐de‐la‐Rosa et al, 2009). The paleodietary results of that study pointed toward the individuals from the site relying on C 3 plant consumption, as well as a diet with both marine and terrestrial foods, with predominance of the former.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary changes across time: Studying the indigenous period of La Gomera using δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating

Sánchez‐Cañadillas

Carballo

Padrón

et al. 2021

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objectives This article presents new radiocarbon and isotopic data to provide further information about the diet of the indigenous population of La Gomera and its possible changes across time. Materials and methods δ13C and δ15N of 53 human and 19 faunal samples from different sites on the island have been obtained and analyzed. Of these, 52 have been radiocarbon dated to provide insight on chronological changes. Results Human dates range from the 3rd to 15th centuries AD, while faunal dates range from the 1st to 17th centuries AD. Stable carbon and nitrogen values are significantly different between the human and goat samples and have also a trophic increase of 3.4‰. Although male and female δ15N data are not significantly different. Both δ13C and δ15N values of both human and animal samples tend to discretely decrease over time. Discussion Radiocarbon dates from humans correlate with other dates obtained in the rest of the archipelago. Animal radiocarbon dates generally coincide except for one date, which requires further study. Isotopic δ15N data suggest a mix of marine and terrestrial protein consumption in humans, the latter being more abundant given the seasonality of the first. δ13C data also suggest a possible mixed diet in humans, with a predominance of C3 plants, like Hordeum vulgare, the only grain found in archaeological sites so far. Variations of both δ13C and δ15N over time suggest a slight modification on the diet, which could be related to environmental changes.

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“…Evidence from archaeological studies suggests human colonization occurred around 2500 years ago (cf. Rando et al 1999;Maca-Meyer et al 2004;Arnay-de-la-Rosa et al 2009). Elsewhere in Macaronesia, human colonization in the Azores occurred as late as the fifteenth century (AD 1432) (Johnson 1994), following which the monteverde formation, which had formerly covered the islands, was drastically reduced, with an apparent collapse in distribution of the small endemic tree Juniperus brevifolia and at least two plant species extinctions on Pico island (Connor et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ancient forests of La Gomera, Canary Islands, and their sensitivity to environmental change

et al. 2013

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Summary1. Garajonay National Park in La Gomera (Canary Islands) contains one of the largest remnant areas of a forest formation once widespread throughout Europe and North Africa. Here, we aim to address the long-term dynamics (the last 9600 cal. years) of the monteverde forest (laurel forest and Morella-Erica heath) located close to the summit of the National Park (1487 m a.s.l.) and determine past environmental and human impacts. 2. We used palaeoecological (fossil pollen, microscopic and macroscopic charcoal) and multivariate ecological techniques to identify compositional change in the monteverde forest in relation to potential climatic and human influences, based on the analysis of a core site at 1250-m elevation. 3. The regional mid-Holocene change towards drier conditions was matched in this system by a fairly rapid shift in representation of key forest elements, with declines in Canarian palm tree (Phoenix canariensis), Canarian willow (Salix canariensis) and certain laurel forest taxa and an increase in representation of the Morella-Erica woody heath. 4. Charcoal data suggest that humans arrived on the island between about 3000 and 1800 years ago, a period of minimal vegetation change. Levels of burning over the last 800 years are among the lowest of the entire 9600 years. 5. Synthesis. A rapid climatic-induced shift of forest taxa occurred 5500 years ago, with a decrease in hygrophilous species in the pollen record. In contrast, we found no evidence of a significant response to human colonization. These findings support the idea that Garajonay National Park is protecting a truly ancient relict, comprising a largely natural rather than cultural legacy.

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Dietary patterns during the early prehispanic settlement in La Gomera (Canary Islands)

Cited by 28 publications

References 35 publications

Investigation of diachronic dietary patterns on the islands of Ibiza and formentera, Spain: Evidence from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis

Investigation of diachronic dietary patterns on the islands of Ibiza and formentera, Spain: Evidence from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis

Dietary changes across time: Studying the indigenous period of La Gomera using δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating

The ancient forests of La Gomera, Canary Islands, and their sensitivity to environmental change

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Dietary patterns during the early prehispanic settlement in La Gomera (Canary Islands)

Cited by 28 publications

References 35 publications

Investigation of diachronic dietary patterns on the islands of Ibiza and formentera, Spain: Evidence from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis

Investigation of diachronic dietary patterns on the islands of Ibiza and formentera, Spain: Evidence from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis

Dietary changes across time: Studying the indigenous period of La Gomera using δ13C and δ15N stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating

The ancient forests of La Gomera, Canary Islands, and their sensitivity to environmental change

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Dietary changes across time: Studying the indigenous period of La Gomera using δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating