Abstract/Summary

The characterization of Neandertals’ diets has mostly relied on nitrogen isotope analyses of bone and tooth collagen. However, few nitrogen isotope data have been recovered from bones or teeth from Iberia due to poor collagen preservation at Paleolithic sites in the region. Zinc isotopes have been shown to be a reliable method for reconstructing trophic levels in the absence of organic matter preservation. Here we present the results of zinc (Zn), strontium (Sr), carbon (C), and oxygen (O)isotope and trace element ratios analysis measured in dental enamel on a Pleistocene food web in Gabasa, Spain, to characterize the diet and ecology of a Middle Paleolithic Neandertal individual. Based on the extremely low 66Zn value observed in the Neandertal’s tooth enamel, our results support the interpretation of Neandertals as carnivores as already suggested by 78 N isotope values of specimens from other regions. Further work could help identify if such isotopic peculiarities (lowest 66Zn and highest 80 N of the food web) are due to a metabolic and/or dietary specificity of the Neandertals.