Sex differences in diet and life conditions in a rural Medieval Islamic population from Spain (La Torrecilla, Granada): An isotopic and osteological approach to gender differentiation inal‐Andalus

Abstract

30Objectives: Gender differentiation can influence the diet, physical activity, and health of human 31 populations. Multifaceted approaches are therefore necessary when exploring the biological 32 consequences of gender-related social norms in the past. Here, we explore the links between diet, 33 physiological stress, physical activity and gender differentiation in the Medieval Islamic 34 population of La Torrecilla (Granada, Spain, 13 th -15 th century AD), by analyzing stable isotope 35 patterns, stature, and long bone diaphyseal measurements. 36 Materials and Methods: The sample includes 96 individuals (48 females, 48 males) classified 37 as young and middle adults (20-34 and 35-50 years of age respectively). Diet was reconstructed 38 through the analysis of δ 13 C and δ 15 N. Stature, humeral and femoral diaphyseal shape and 39 product of diaphyseal diameters served as proxies of physiological stress and physical activity.40 Results: Isotopic ratios suggest a substantial dietary contribution of C 4 plants (e.g., sorghum, 41 millet), a variable access to animal proteins, and no differences between the sexes. Sexual 42 dimorphism in stature derives from a markedly low female stature. Long bone diaphyseal 43 properties suggest that men performed various physically stressful activities, whereas women 44 were involved in less physically demanding activities (possibly related to household work).45 Discussion: Gender differentiation in La Torrecilla was expressed by a possibly differential 46 parental investment in male versus female offspring and by culturally sanctioned gender 47 differences in the performance of physical tasks. Diet was qualitatively homogenous between the 48 sexes, although we cannot rule out quantitative differences. Our results shed new light on the 49 effects of gender-related social norms on human development and lifestyle.

Introduction of sugarcane in Al‐Andalus (Medieval Spain) and its impact on children's dental health

“…The main cereals consumed by the populations under study were wheat and barley (Molina González et al, 2016; Nájera et al, 2010; Palomino Lázaro & Negredo García, 2021), although sorghum, a C 4 plant, was also eaten in La Torrecilla and Talará, as recorded in contemporary sources (Hernández Bermejo & García Sánchez, 2008) and suggested in stable isotope analyses (Jiménez‐Brobeil et al, 2021). Sorghum is potentially more cariogenic than wheat and barley (Gnansounou et al, 2005; Ratnavathi et al, 2011) and may also have impacted on the dental health of these children, besides their consumption of sugarcane.…”

“…Caries was more prevalent among individuals from Talará than among those from La Torrecilla, which may be explained by the greater capacity of the wealthier inhabitants in Talará to purchase this costly product (García Sánchez, 1990). In addition, Talará was much closer to the sugarcane plantations and to the route by which sugarcane reached the city of Granada (Jiménez‐Brobeil et al, 2021), offering greater access to freshly cut sugar cane that could be sucked as candy.…”

“…M. de Tejuela in the province of Burgos) (Figure 1), as follows. La Torrecilla (Arenas del Rey, Granada), a small Muslim rural community dated in the 13th to 15th centuries (Charisi et al, 2016; Jiménez‐Brobeil et al, 2016, 2021; Laffranchi et al, 2016). The cemetery was excavated in the 1970s (Arribas & Riu, 1974; Souich, 1979) and is located in a poorly communicated area surrounded by mountains; it is now covered by a reservoir (Figure 1).…”

“…Recent paleodietary studies of Medieval populations in Southern Iberia (Écija, Seville 9th–13thc. AD and La Torrecilla, Granada 13th–15th c. AD) revealed a dietary pattern with a very small contribution of C 4 plants (Inskip et al, 2019), while another showed a diet based on the large‐scale cultivation of C 4 plants as a staple food resource (Jiménez‐Brobeil et al, 2021). Both studies attributed the C 4 signal in part to the consumption of sugarcane.…”

North and South in Medieval Iberia: A historical and environmental estimate through isotopic analyses

“…According to radiocarbon dating values, most tombs are from the 13 th to 15 th centuries, i.e., the beginning of the Little Ice Age [ 6 , 7 ]. Samples were taken from 11 males and 13 females [ 65 , 69 ].…”