Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes as Dietary Indicators of Ancient Nubian Populations (Northern Sudan)

Iacumin, Paola; Bocherens, Hervé; Chaix, Louis; Marioth, A.

doi:10.1006/jasc.1997.0206

Cited by 57 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The carbon isotopes show that C 3 plants were dominant in the region. This is in accordance with pollen and phytolith data obtained from the archaeological context (Shishlina 2008) (Iacumin et al 1998;Schwarcz etal. 1999).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Isotopes, Plants, and Reservoir Effects: Case Study from the Caspian Steppe Bronze Age

et al. 2012

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ABSTRACT. Bronze Age human and animal bone collagen from several steppe Bronze Age cultures (i.e. Early Catacomb, East and West Manych Catacomb, and Lola cultures) shows large variations in 5 13 C and δ 15 Ν values. In general, we observed that the older the sample, the lower the 5 13 C and δ 15 Ν values. We hypothesize that more positive values of 5 13 C and δ 15 Ν are caused by change in diet and a more arid climate. For ancient sheep during drier periods of the Early Catacomb, East and West Manych Catacomb, and Lola cultures, we observed 2 groups with different C and Ν isotopic compositions, reflecting consumption of different types of fodder. During periods of aridization, C 4 and C 3 plants with high δ 15 Ν values appeared in the vegetation, also influencing bone collagen values. Human bones show reservoir effects, caused by aquatic diet components. These effects can be quantified by paired dating of human bone and associated terrestrial samples. Reservoir corrections have revised chronologies for the region. Some paired dates do not reveal reservoir effects. This can be explained in 2 alternative ways. One is that the human diet did not include aquatic components; rather, the diet was based on C 3 vegetation with high δ 15 Ν values (13-15%o), and flesh/milk of domesticated animals. An alternative explanation is that humans consumed food from freshwater resources without reservoir effects.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Isotopes, Plants, and Reservoir Effects: Case Study from the Caspian Steppe Bronze Age

et al. 2012

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“…13 C values through time suggested a progressive increase in C 3 input [27]. Seasonality in the exploitation of C 3 plants during the wet season after the innundation and C 4 plants during drier spells was also reported [48,57].…”

Section: Stable Isotope Evidence For Diet In Egyptmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Iacumin et al [26] More work has been carried out on material from Nubia examining carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios in bone collagen, skin and hair [27,48,57,58,60] as well as oxygen isotope ratios [56]. The results indicate a large C 4 input to the diet in Nubia during a period contemporaneous with the Egyptian Middle Kingdom.…”

Section: Stable Isotope Evidence For Diet In Egyptmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Isotopic palaeodiet studies of Ancient Egyptian fauna and humans

Thompson

Richards

Shortland

et al. 2005

Journal of Archaeological Science

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We report here stable carbon and nitrogen isotope results from human and faunal bone collagen from samples taken from sites in the Egyptian Nile Valley and surrounding region, dating from the Predynastic (c. 5500 BC) through to the Dynastic (c. 343 BC) periods. Isotopic values for the human population cluster together across this broad time range, with high d 15 N ratios, and d 13 C values indicating a largely C 3 based diet. The human data is not easily explained through comparison with our associated faunal data, and so may be explained by the consumption of protein from an ecosystem we did not adequately sample, such as freshwater fish or plants and fauna with unusually high d15 N values due to the extreme aridity of this region. The faunal isotopic data we did produce shows a great range in values between and within species, especially in cattle, and reflects the close proximity of three ecozones across a relatively narrow geographical area; the river, the immediate flood-plain area around the Nile and the desert surroundings.

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“…The proteins within mummified skin and muscle are less frequently preserved when compared to those within hair and there are only a limited number of available stable isotope studies (White and Schwarcz, 1994;Aufderheide et al 1994;White et al 1995White et al , 1999Iacumin et al 1998;Finucane 2007;Williams 2008;Corr et al 2009). Modern soft tissue studies, including those relating to forensic applications (see Meier-Augenstein 2010, for review) have demonstrated that skin and muscle will, as with bone, preserve the individual's diet and behaviour as the major protein in the dermis is type I collagen (White and Schwarczz 1994).…”

Section: Skin/musclementioning

confidence: 99%

Stable isotope analysis of soft tissues from mummified human remains

Lamb

2015

Environmental Archaeology

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Mummies are faunal remains that include the preservation of soft tissues; such as skin, muscle, nails and hair as well as bone. These soft tissues are generally rich in collagen or keratin proteins and thus provide potentially suitable material for stable isotope studies.When preserved, such tissues can provide high-resolution information about the diet and migration of humans in the weeks and months before death. Hair, nails and soft tissue S/ 32 S) and these applications are also discussed.

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Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes as Dietary Indicators of Ancient Nubian Populations (Northern Sudan)

Cited by 57 publications

References 23 publications

Isotopes, Plants, and Reservoir Effects: Case Study from the Caspian Steppe Bronze Age

Isotopes, Plants, and Reservoir Effects: Case Study from the Caspian Steppe Bronze Age

Isotopic palaeodiet studies of Ancient Egyptian fauna and humans

Stable isotope analysis of soft tissues from mummified human remains

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