Same old in Middle Neolithic diets? A stable isotope study of bone collagen from the burial community of Jechtingen, southwest Germany

Mörseburg, Alexander; Alt, Kurt W.; Knipper, Corina

doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2015.04.001

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Staple plants in the latter group include millet, maize, and sorghum, of which only millet is relevant in European prehistory, but not until post-Neolithic times [ 16 , 46 , 47 ]. Variation of carbon isotope ratios within the spectrum of C 3 plants reflects density and extent of forest cover (“canopy effect”, [ 48 – 50 ]) and humidity [ 51 , 52 ], which is also mirrored in Neolithic collagen samples [ 53 ].…”

Section: Analysis Of Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes For The Reconstructmentioning

confidence: 99%

4000 years of human dietary evolution in central Germany, from the first farmers to the first elites

et al. 2018

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Investigation of human diet during the Neolithic has often been limited to a few archaeological cultures or single sites. In order to provide insight into the development of human food consumption and husbandry strategies, our study explores bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data from 466 human and 105 faunal individuals from 26 sites in central Germany. It is the most extensive data set to date from an enclosed geographic microregion, covering 4,000 years of agricultural history from the Early Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. The animal data show that a variety of pastures and dietary resources were explored, but that these changed remarkably little over time. In the human δ15N however we found a significant increase with time across the different archaeological cultures. This trend could be observed in all time periods and archaeological cultures (Bell Beaker phenomenon excluded), even on continuously populated sites. Since there was no such trend in faunal isotope values, we were able largely to exclude manuring as the cause of this effect. Based on the rich interdisciplinary data from this region and archaeological period we can argue that meat consumption increased with the increasing duration of farming subsistence.In δ13C, we could not observe any clear increasing or decreasing trends during the archaeological time periods, either for humans or for animals, which would have suggested significant changes in the environment and landscape use. We discovered sex-related dietary differences, with males of all archaeological periods having higher δ15N values than females, and an age-related increasing consumption of animal protein. An initial decrease of δ15N-values at the age of 1–2 years reveals partial weaning, while complete weaning took place at the age of 3–4 years.

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Section: Analysis Of Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes For The Reconstructmentioning

confidence: 99%

4000 years of human dietary evolution in central Germany, from the first farmers to the first elites

et al. 2018

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“…Isotope data for Bavaria, including some of the sites discussed here, are reported by Asam et al [ 24 ]. An overview and summary of available data is given in Mörseburg et al [ 47 ].…”

Section: Light Isotopes and Dietmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet and Mobility in the Corded Ware of Central Europe

2016

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Isotopic investigations of two cemetery populations from the Corded Ware Culture in southern Germany reveal new information on the dating of these graves, human diet during this period, and individual mobility. Corded Ware Culture was present across much of temperate Europe ca. 2800–2200 cal. BC and is represented by distinctive artifacts and burial practices. Corded Ware was strongly influenced by the Yamnaya Culture that arose in the steppes of eastern Europe and western Eurasia after 3000 BC, as indicated by recent aDNA research. However, the development of CW on different chronological and spatial scales has to be evaluated. Examination of the CW burials from southern Germany supports an argument for substantial human mobility in this period. Several burials from gravefields and larger samples from two large cemeteries at Lauda-Königshofen "Wöllerspfad" and at Bergheinfeld “Hühnerberg” contributed the human remains for our study of bone and tooth enamel from the Corded Ware Culture. Our results suggest that Corded Ware groups in this region at least were subsisting on a mix of plant and animal foods and were highly mobile, especially the women. We interpret this as indicating a pattern of female exogamy, involving different groups with differing economic strategies.

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“…The δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of human bone will be discussed and interpreted here primarily using the 5‰ levels of TLE (Trophic level effect) but also taking the 3‰ level into account, an approach which has recently been frequently used (e.g., Basha, Chamberlain, Zaki, Kandeel, & Fares, ; Chen et al, ; Ciaffi et al, ; Fernandes, Grootes, Nadeau, & Nehlich, ; Halffman & Velemínský, ; Mörseburg, Alt, & Knipper, ; Nafplioti, ; Richards, Karavanić, Pettitt, & Miracle, ; Schutkowski & Soltysiak, ). The offset in δ 13 C is much smaller in human bone collagen when comparing with bones of animals likely consumed by humans (i.e., the TLE) and is sometimes given as an interval of +0.8 to 1.3‰ (Bocherens & Drucker, ), but mostly rounded off to the originally suggested +1‰ (DeNiro & Epstein, ) which is the value that will be employed in this study for the TLE.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shifting diet, shifting culture? A bioarchaeological approach to island dietary development on Iron‐Age Öland, Baltic Sea

Wilhelmson

2017

American J Phys Anthropol

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Same old in Middle Neolithic diets? A stable isotope study of bone collagen from the burial community of Jechtingen, southwest Germany

Cited by 9 publications

References 63 publications

4000 years of human dietary evolution in central Germany, from the first farmers to the first elites

4000 years of human dietary evolution in central Germany, from the first farmers to the first elites

Diet and Mobility in the Corded Ware of Central Europe

Shifting diet, shifting culture? A bioarchaeological approach to island dietary development on Iron‐Age Öland, Baltic Sea

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