Dietary habits in the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC) of Anatolia: A multi-isotopic approach. (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Irvine, Benjamin; Erdal, Yılmaz Selim; Richards, Michael P.
• Is Part Of: Journal of archaeological science. Volume 24(2019)
• Page Start: 253
• Page End: 263
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: Turkey -- Palaeodiet -- Subsistence -- Bioarchaeology -- Biochemistry -- Carbon-13 -- Nitrogen-15 -- Sulphur-34; Archaeology -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Research -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2019.01.015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-409X

Abstract

Abstract: This paper presents the results of isotopic analysis for dietary reconstruction of humans and animal remains from several prehistoric (3500–2000 BCE) populations in Anatolia. The investigated sites are İkiztepe (north Anatolia, Samsun region, on the Black Sea coast), Titriş Höyük (south east Anatolia, Urfa region), Bademağacı (south Anatolia, Antalya region), and Bakla Tepe (south west Anatolia, in the İzmir region). This research utilises the results of stable isotope analyses of carbon (δ 13 C), nitrogen (δ 15 N), and sulphur (δ 34 S) in bone collagen from over 200 human and animal samples in conjunction with published archaeological, archaeobotanical, and archaeozoological data (where present) to address this issue. This study, for the first time, has permitted a wider observation of Early Bronze Age dietary habits and subsistence strategies across the region, as well as examining the nature of dietary habits on an intra- and inter-site level, and temporally across the 3rd millennium BC. The results show that during the EBA in Anatolia there was a general degree of homogeneity in dietary habits at an intra- and inter-site and regional level and across the millennium of the EBA with diets being predominantly terrestrial C3 based. Highlights: Dietary habits are mixed terrestrial C3 based. Surprising lack of marine resources in the diets in some cases General homogeneity in stable isotope values Suggestion of standardised dietary habits and subsistence practices