Stable isotope analysis of human bone hydroxyapatite and collagen for the reconstruction of dietary patterns of hunter‐gatherers from Jomon populations

Abstract

Stable isotope analysis on human skeletal remains is a powerful tool to reconstruct prehistoric human diet. A previous study used carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of bone collagen to reveal that the incorporation of marine resources was significant in the diet of people in the Jomon period. It was found that carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in bone collagen reflect those of protein sources in the diet during adulthood, whereas the incorporation of terrestrial plants could not be evaluated. In this study, we assessed the consumption of terrestrial plants during adulthood by analysing the carbon isotope ratios in bone hydroxyapatite, which reflect the respective values in the whole diet (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins). We studied 55 human skeletal remains from the Yoshigo and Inariyama shell mounds of the Tokai region in Japan. The carbon isotope ratios in bone hydroxyapatite from these samples were analysed to evaluate the dietary dependence on marine and terrestrial resources. We discovered that the carbon isotope ratios in the bone hydroxyapatite were as low as those in terrestrial mammals, thereby indicating that C3 plants and terrestrial mammals were the main sources of dietary energy for the Jomon people. This result suggests that the dietary incorporation of terrestrial resources was recorded in the bone hydroxyapatite. Finally, the difference between the carbon isotope ratios of the bone hydroxyapatite and collagen was correlated to the nitrogen isotope ratios of the bone collagen, thereby suggesting the large dietary variation among individuals. This study highlighted the utility of carbon isotope analysis of bone hydroxyapatite and bone collagen from human skeletal remains in the investigation of the prehistoric diet of Jomon populations.

Migration and cultural integration in the early medieval cemetery of Finglesham, Kent, through stable isotopes

“…However, Webb et al (2017) did not collect enamel carbonate samples in their study, so it is hard to interpret how this plays out in bioapatite versus proteinaceous tissues (collagen) to attempt corrections and better understand the whole dietapatite relationship in omnivores. Although their work does suggest that ∆ 13 C bioapatite-collagen values in humans (and other animals) may not always reflect trophic level, looking at a combination of the ecological literature and work done on Jomon period Japanese populations, suggests that ∆ 13 C bioapatite-collagen values can give a suggestion of trophiclike relationships, in particular for disentangling proportions of mixed marine/terrestrial/freshwater protein discrimination (especially in otherwise C 3 environments) (Clementz et al 2007(Clementz et al , 2009Clementz and Koch 2001;Kusaka 2019;Kusaka et al 2015). Although caution is needed as more feeding studies and work on modern populations (both animals and people) is needed to better understand underlying dietary routing and isotopic composition of all portions of foodstuffs.…”

Multi-isotope variation reveals social complexity in Viking Age Norway

“…The δ 13 C carb values from tooth enamel in the sample range from −16.92‰ to −12.15‰ (mean −14.79 ± 1.11‰) which mirrors the broad range in collagen δ 13 C values described above (see Figure 3 ). This suggests that whole diets in these individuals range from reliance on primarily terrestrial and/or freshwater resources to diets heavily reliant on marine resources ( Ambrose and Norr, 1993 ; Clementz et al., 2009 ; Kusaka, 2019 ; Kusaka et al., 2015 ).…”

Factors influencing cranial variation between prehistoric Japanese forager populations

“…In characterising Jomon diet based on the archaeological record, as we have done here, we are relying on an imperfect proxy; more accurate reconstructions of dietary differences within and between regions may be achieved by direct analyses such as isotope analyses of skeletal remains. To date, most isotope studies of Jomon diet have tended to focus on a single or few similar sites rather than regional comparisons (e.g., Naito et al 2010 , 2013 ; Kanazawa-Kiriyama and Kusaka 2017 ; Kusaka 2019 ), partly due to complications such as marine reservoir and local temperature effects (Yoneda et al 2004 ; Chisholm 2004 ; Naito et al 2010 ). The limited evidence available shows nitrogen isotopes from skeletons from Kitokogane (Hokkaido) resemble those of large fish and sea mammals, whilst those of Jomon from inland central Honshu, such as Kitamura (Nagano), and South/West Japan regions, such as Yosekura (Chugoku), appear more like large herbivores in (Akazawa and Maeyama 1986 ).…”

“…The authors suggest this might be due to a greater reliance on shellfish in Tokai, a region famous for its middens, and more high trophic level marine fish in Sanyo (Kusaka et al 2010 ). These studies suggest there may be meaningful differences in protein intake between regions, but that the storey is complex and needs further investigation, preferably using isotopic methods that allow the interpretation of the whole diet, rather than just its protein portion (Kusaka 2019 ). Archaeobotanical analyses of food remain in dental calculus (e.g., Salazar-García et al 2013 ; Henry et al 2014 ) and residue on cooking/food preparation items (e.g., Junno et al 2020 ; Robson et al 2020 ; Saul et al 2012 ; Yasui 2022 ) could also improve the resolution of our understanding.…”

“…Sex differences in diet do not seem to have been a culture-wide division however, as no sex differences in isotopic signature have been found at sites such as Boji in the central highlands of Honshu (Yoneda et al 2004 ). Identification and interpretation of these subtle inter-group differences depends on comprehensive chemical analysis of skeletal remains using both carbon and nitrogen isotopes and considering the signature of both bone collagen and hydroxyapatite (Kusaka 2019 ). At Yoshigo, on the East coast of central Honshu, there is evidence for sex differences in protein (Kusaka et al 2010 ) but these are obscured when the diet is analysed as a whole (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins) (Kusaka 2019 ).…”