Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis and dietary reconstruction through the life course at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Abstract

Food has long served as a mechanism for identifying and reinforcing social structures, but while carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis has provided important identity-based evidence of past diets, the cyclical and stable/fluid nature of food consumption practices across the life course has been relatively neglected. In this paper, the large human assemblage at Ç atalhö yük with all age groups present has enabled diet reconstruction of the rarely represented groups of older children and adolescents as well as for the young, middle and old adult age groups of both sexes. These data show how neonates reflect foods available to pregnant mothers, that infants were breastfed until around 18 months of age and weaned by three years of age, older children had a different diet compared to adolescents and young adults who, in turn, differed from middle and older adults. The absence of sex-related differences suggests changes in food consumed at Ç atalhö yük accompanied the marking of transitions through the life course.

Bioarchaeology of Neolithic Çatalhöyük reveals fundamental transitions in health, mobility, and lifestyle in early farmers

“…The above record of archaeobotanical and archaeozoological analysis reveals a clear commitment to production and consumption of domestic food resources (51,56,57). Stable carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C) document the kinds of plants consumed by community members, whereas stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ 15 N) give a record of trophic level and the relative importance of animal sources of food.…”

An analysis of modified human teeth at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey

“…;Knüsel et al in prep. ;Nakamura and Meskell 2013;Pearson and Meskell 2013;Pearson et al 2015;Vasić 2018;Vasić, Knüsel et al in prep.). In light of these previous observations, the ages of the two individuals involved here may have played a role in their selection.…”

Continuity and individuality in Medieval Hereford, England: A stable isotope approach to bulk bone and incremental dentine

“…It is notable that the lowest δ 15 N values are generally present between the ages of 8 and 16 (Figure 4, 5a-b). This may be caused by one of two things: a specific adolescent diet prior to transitioning to an adult diet with higher levels of animal protein, as suggested at Wharram Percy (Richards et al, 2002) and Çatalhöyük, Turkey (Pearson et al, 2015), or changes in nitrogen fractionation associated with growth and development (Henderson et al, 2014;Waters-Rist and Katzenberg, 2010). Similar patterns have been observed in several other burial populations, with connections being drawn between the main growth period of humans and reduced δ 15 N values between the ages of 10 and 18 (cf.…”