The impact of manuring on nitrogen isotope ratios in cereals: archaeological implications for reconstruction of diet and crop management practices

Bogaard, Amy; Heaton, T.H.E.; Poulton, P. R.; Merbach, Ines

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2006.04.009

Cited by 560 publications

(482 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In general, δ 15 N col is~3 to 6‰ higher than diet, and the δ 15 N col of carnivores tends to be higher than those of omnivores which, in turn, are higher than those of herbivores in terrestrial populations (DeNiro and Epstein 1981;Schoeninger 1985;O'Connell et al 2012). Higher δ 15 N col among humans consuming primarily vegetarian diets could reflect the consumption of domesticated crops grown using animal manure, which could increase plant δ 15 N by~3 to 5‰ (Bogaard et al 2007). Breastfeeding infants tend to sit at a higher trophic level relative to the parent population (Fogel et al 1989;Fuller et al, 2006) though the reasons for this pattern are still debated (Beaumont et al 2015).…”

Section: Isotopic Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isotopic anthropology of rural German medieval diet: intra- and inter-population variability

Olsen

White

Longstaffe

et al. 2016

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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This study investigates the diet of an eleventh century CE parish community located in northwestern Germany. We assessed the isotopic compositions of human (n = 24) and faunal (n = 17) bone collagen (δ 13 C col , δ 15 N col ) and human structural carbonate (δ 13 C sc ) using skeletal material recovered from the Dalheim cemetery. Traditional interpretation of the isotopic data indicates that Dalheim residents likely relied on a C 3 plant-based diet and consumed some terrestrial animal products without evidence of marine resource input in the diet. Bivariate and multivariate models used as an additional means to assess diet indicate minor consumption of C 4 plant foods in this community. The multivariate-isotope model identified regional similarities and differences in C 4 plant/marine food consumption and in dietary protein sources by comparing data from Dalheim with those of other medieval sites from the published literature. We did not observe sex differences in this population but differences in δ 15 N col suggest that juveniles consumed the lowest trophic level protein.

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Section: Isotopic Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isotopic anthropology of rural German medieval diet: intra- and inter-population variability

Olsen

White

Longstaffe

et al. 2016

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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“…5), cattle and ovicaprine animals display enriched δ 15 N ratios (average = 6.90 ± 0.70‰) in comparison to wild herbivores, i.e., red deer and rabbit (median = 5.03‰; 25th percentile: 4.91‰, 50th percentile: 5.03‰; 75th percentile: 5.14‰). This δ 15 N enrichment may be the result of field manuring where domesticated animals were kept (Bogaard et al, 2007). The application of animal dung results in artificially raised δ 15 N values in soil and plants, causes a significant enrichment in bone δ 15 N values of animals and human consumers (Bogaard et al, 2007;van Klinken et al, 2000).…”

Section: Dietary Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This δ 15 N enrichment may be the result of field manuring where domesticated animals were kept (Bogaard et al, 2007). The application of animal dung results in artificially raised δ 15 N values in soil and plants, causes a significant enrichment in bone δ 15 N values of animals and human consumers (Bogaard et al, 2007;van Klinken et al, 2000). Furthermore, δ 15 N of plants may be affected by differences in temperature, precipitation and nitrogen content in soil, even in the same locality (Amundson et al, 2003).…”

Section: Dietary Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Measuring the carbon (δ 13 C co ) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotopic ratios of bone collagen is a well-established technique for reconstruction of ancient diets (Bogaard et al, 2007;Craig et al, 2009;Keenleyside et al, 2009). Carbon isotope values can be used to distinguish plants using the C 3 and C 4 photosynthetic pathways and the individuals consuming these plants (Budd et al, 2013;Chenery et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stable isotope and multi-analytical investigation of Monte da Cegonha: A Late Antiquity population in southern Portugal

Saragoça

Maurer

Šoberl

et al. 2016

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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This study presents for the first time the diet of a Late Antiquity population in southern Portugal (Civitas of Pax Julia), from the Roman villa of Monte da Cegonha (predominantly 7th century CE). Stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 18 O, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) of human and faunal bone collagen and apatite was conducted in order to understand the influence of Roman subsistence strategies on the way of life of rural inhabitants of the area of Pax Julia and to explore their diet (types of ingested plants, amount of animal resources, terrestrial versus marine resources). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses were used to determine the degree of bone diagenesis and assess the reliability of the bone stable isotopic composition for palaeodietary reconstruction. Anthropological analysis revealed a cariogenic diet, rich in starchy food and carbohydrates, in at least in two individuals based on the frequency of dental caries. Collagen and apatite carbon isotopic analysis suggested that C 3 plants were the basis of the population's diet, complemented with some terrestrial meat and its byproducts as reflected by the observed bone collagen nitrogen isotopic composition. Moreover, whilst the fairly low apatite-collagen spacing recorded in some skeletons (at around 4‰) may have been due to freshwater organisms intake, the relatively low nitrogen values observed indicate that this consumption did not occur very often, unless in the form of fresh fish of low trophic level or fish sauces. There were no significant differences in isotopic values depending on gender or burial type. Strontium and oxygen isotopic composition of bone apatite revealed a sedentary community, with the exception of a male individual who probably did not spend his childhood in Monte da Cegonha.

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“…Araus et al 1997;Bogaard et al 2007;Fraser et al 2011;Wallace et al 2013;Fiorentino et al 2015). Thus variation in crop stable isotope values offers a useful way to investigate the ecology of present and past farming systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Traditional Farming in Morocco to Early Urban Agroecology in Northern Mesopotamia: Combining Present-day Arable Weed Surveys and Crop Isotope Analysis to Reconstruct Past Agrosystems in (Semi-)arid Regions

Bogaard

Styring

Ater

et al. 2016

Environmental Archaeology

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We integrate functional weed ecology with crop stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to assess their combined potential for inferring arable land management practices in (semi-)arid regions from archaeobotanical assemblages. Weed and GIS survey of 60 cereal and pulse fields in Morocco are combined with crop sampling for stable isotope analysis to frame assessment of agricultural labour intensity in terms of manuring, irrigation, tillage and handweeding. Under low management intensity weed variation primarily reflects geographical differences, whereas under high management intensity fields in disparate regions have similar weed flora. Manured and irrigated oasis barley fields are clearly discriminated from less intensively manured rain-fed barley terraces in southern Morocco; when fields in northern and southern Morocco are considered together, climatic differences are superimposed on the agronomic intensity gradient. Barley δ 13 C and δ 15 N values clearly distinguish among the Moroccan regimes. An integrated approach combines crop isotope values with weed ecological discrimination of low-and high-intensity regimes across multiple studies (in southern Morocco and southern Europe). Analysis of archaeobotanical samples from EBA Tell Brak, Syria suggests that this early city was sustained through extensive (low-intensity, large-scale) cereal farming. ARTICLE HISTORY

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The impact of manuring on nitrogen isotope ratios in cereals: archaeological implications for reconstruction of diet and crop management practices

Cited by 560 publications

References 52 publications

Isotopic anthropology of rural German medieval diet: intra- and inter-population variability

Isotopic anthropology of rural German medieval diet: intra- and inter-population variability

Stable isotope and multi-analytical investigation of Monte da Cegonha: A Late Antiquity population in southern Portugal

From Traditional Farming in Morocco to Early Urban Agroecology in Northern Mesopotamia: Combining Present-day Arable Weed Surveys and Crop Isotope Analysis to Reconstruct Past Agrosystems in (Semi-)arid Regions

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