Isotopic Anthropology of Rural German Medieval Diet: Intra- and Inter-population Variability

Authors

Karyn C. Olsen, The University of Western Ontario
Christine D. White, The University of Western Ontario
Fred J. Longstaffe, The University of Western OntarioFollow
Frank J. Rühli, University of Zurich
Christina Warinner, University of Zurich
Domingo S. Salazar-Garcia, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Journal

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1007/s12520-016-0432-y

Abstract

This study investigates the diet of an 11th century CE parish community located in northwestern Germany. We assessed the isotopic compositions of human (n = 24) and faunal (n = 17) bone collagen (δ¹³C_col, δ¹⁵N_col) and human structural carbonate (δ¹³C_sc) using skeletal material recovered from the Dalheim cemetery. Traditional interpretation of the isotopic data indicates that Dalheim residents likely relied on a C₃ 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 C₄ plant foods in this community. The multivariate-isotope model identified regional similarities and differences in C₄ 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 δ¹⁵N_col suggest that juveniles consumed the lowest trophic level protein.