Accessibility navigation


Stable isotope evidence for 1500 years of human diet at the city of York, UK

Müldner, G. H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4513-9263 and Richards, M. P. (2007) Stable isotope evidence for 1500 years of human diet at the city of York, UK. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 133 (1). pp. 682-697. ISSN 0002-9483

Full text not archived in this repository.

It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing.

To link to this item DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20561

Abstract/Summary

We present here the results of a large-scale diachronic palaeodietary (carbon and nitrogen isotopic measurements of bone collagen) study of humans and animals from a single site, the city of York (U.K.) dating from the Roman period to the early 19th century The human sample comprises 313 burials from the cemeteries of Trentholme Drive and Blossom Street (Roman), Belle Vue House (Anglo-Saxon), Fishergate (High and Later Medieval), and All Saints, Pavement (Later and Post-Medieval). In addition, 145 samples of mammal, fish and bird bone from the sites of Tanner Row and Fishergate were analyzed. The isotope data suggest dietary variation between all archaeological periods, although the most significant change was the introduction of significant quantities of marine foods in the Medieval periods. These are first evident in the diet of a small group of individuals from the High Medieval cemetery at Fishergate, although they were consumed almost universally in the following periods. The human isotope values are also remarkable due to unusually elevated delta N-15 ratios that are not sufficiently explained by the comparably small enrichment in C-13 that accompanies them. We discuss the possible reasons behind this and the archaeological significance of the data set.

Item Type:Article
Divisions:Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Archaeology
Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Scientific Archaeology
ID Code:3901
Uncontrolled Keywords:carbon nitrogen bone Roman medieval BONE-COLLAGEN NITROGEN RECONSTRUCTION CEMETERY VALUES PALAEODIETARY ENRICHMENT MARINE RATIOS CARBON
Additional Information:Mueldner

University Staff: Request a correction | Centaur Editors: Update this record

Page navigation