Stable Carbon Isotopes from Archaic Human Remains in the Chihuahuan Desert and Central Texas

Assessing diet and seasonality in the Lower Pecos canyonlands: an evaluation of coprolite specimens as records of individual dietary decisions

“…Previous research, as noted, has shown that the human populations exploiting the Lower Pecos region were heavily dependent on sotol caudex, lechuguilla caudex, prickly pear tunas and nopales as dietary staples throughout the Holocene (Bousman and Quigg 2006;Bryant 1974aBryant , 1977bDering 1979Dering , 1999Edwards 1990;Huebner 1991;Shafer and Bryant 1979;Shafer 1986;Sobolik 1988aSobolik , b, c, 1991aSobolik , b, 1996aStock 1983;Turpin 1991;Williams-Dean 1978;Woltz 1998). For the purposes of this study, a resource which is consumed on a daily basis during its seasonal availability or which provides the bulk of caloric intake in a menu is considered a staple resource.…”

“…A new generation of scholars had research interests in the region, although much of the research focuses on the analysis of previously excavated materials (Brunnemann 1988;Danielson and Reinhard 1998;Mailloux 2003;Mcgregor 1992;Sobolik 1996a;Williams-Dean 1978) and the documentation and interpretation of rock art in the region (Boyd 2003;Boyd and Dering 1996;Chippindale and Taçon 2000;Greco 1984;Mock 1987;Turpin 1990a;Turpin 1992;Turpin and Eling 2002). This continues today, as the region has received renewed attention from both rock art specialists and archaeologists (Bousman and Quigg 2006;Boyd 1998;Boyd and Dering 1996;Boyd 2006;Steelman et al 2004;Turpin 1991aTurpin , b, 1997Turpin , 2004Turpin et al 2002).…”

“…The oldest human skeletal remains from the region are also from this period (Turpin 1988). The Seminole Sink ossuary has multiple individuals who date directly to the Early Archaic (Bousman and Quigg 2006). The ossuary contains both male and female individuals of a variety of ages, which suggests an egalitarian society with little differentiation of social status (Turpin et al 1986).…”

“…), and lechuguilla (Agave lechuguilla) have been identified as important dietary constituents across the greater Southwest in both the ethnographic (Bean and Saubel 1972;Bell and Castetter 1941;Castetter 1935;Castetter et al 1938;Felger 1970) and archaeological literature (Danielson and Reinhard 1998;Dering 1999;Fish et al 1985;Phippen 1999;Venner 1982). Archaeological research in the Lower Pecos canyonlands has demonstrated that these three plant resources were important food resources for human populations during most of the Holocene (Bousman and Quigg 2006;Bryant 1974b;Sobolik 1991a;Williams-Dean 1978). After an introduction to the ecology and biology of each of these staple resources, this chapter presents an overview of photosynthetic pathways and the role it plays in the differential fractionation of stable carbon isotope values.…”

“…caudex, prickly pear (Opuntia sp.) fruits (tunas) and cladodes (nopales) as dietary staples (Bousman and Quigg 2006;Bryant 1974bBryant , 1977aDering 1979Dering , 1999Edwards 1990;Huebner 1991;Poinar et al 2001;Shafer 1986;Shafer and Holloway 1979;Sobolik 1988b;Sobolik 1991aSobolik , c, 1996aStock 1983;Turpin 1991a;Williams-Dean 1978;Woltz 1998).…”