Diet in Mesolithic Europe: New evidence from dental microwear
Palaeodietary reconstruction is a key to understanding Mesolithic lifeways. Dental microwear analysis is a tool for investigating palaeodiet using microscopic tooth wear patterns. In this study, dental microwear analysis was performed on both Mesolithic and Neolithic human individuals from Brittany,...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of York
2007-10-01
|
| Series: | Internet Archaeology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue22/mclaughlin_index.html |
| _version_ | 1797225278510989312 |
|---|---|
| author | T. Rowan McLaughlin |
| author_facet | T. Rowan McLaughlin |
| author_sort | T. Rowan McLaughlin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Palaeodietary reconstruction is a key to understanding Mesolithic lifeways. Dental microwear analysis is a tool for investigating palaeodiet using microscopic tooth wear patterns. In this study, dental microwear analysis was performed on both Mesolithic and Neolithic human individuals from Brittany, southern Britain and the northern Irish Sea region. The analysis evidences significant differences between Mesolithic and Neolithic diet among the population samples studied, suggesting that different foodstuffs were consumed by the two groups, or that food preparation methods were different. Microwear at Cnoc Coig in Oronsay is dominated by large features. Overall variability in microwear is higher among Mesolithic populations, a finding that provides tentative evidence that Mesolithic diet was more varied than Neolithic diet. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:36:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4a6ad67f884b4953907773ab8328af03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1363-5387 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:06:28Z |
| publishDate | 2007-10-01 |
| publisher | University of York |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Internet Archaeology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4a6ad67f884b4953907773ab8328af032024-04-03T10:23:26ZengUniversity of YorkInternet Archaeology1363-53872007-10-012210.11141/ia.22.1Diet in Mesolithic Europe: New evidence from dental microwearT. Rowan McLaughlin0Queen's University BelfastPalaeodietary reconstruction is a key to understanding Mesolithic lifeways. Dental microwear analysis is a tool for investigating palaeodiet using microscopic tooth wear patterns. In this study, dental microwear analysis was performed on both Mesolithic and Neolithic human individuals from Brittany, southern Britain and the northern Irish Sea region. The analysis evidences significant differences between Mesolithic and Neolithic diet among the population samples studied, suggesting that different foodstuffs were consumed by the two groups, or that food preparation methods were different. Microwear at Cnoc Coig in Oronsay is dominated by large features. Overall variability in microwear is higher among Mesolithic populations, a finding that provides tentative evidence that Mesolithic diet was more varied than Neolithic diet.http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue22/mclaughlin_index.htmlpalaeodiettooth waremicrowarefoodMesolithicNeolithic |
| spellingShingle | T. Rowan McLaughlin Diet in Mesolithic Europe: New evidence from dental microwear Internet Archaeology palaeodiet tooth ware microware food Mesolithic Neolithic |
| title | Diet in Mesolithic Europe: New evidence from dental microwear |
| title_full | Diet in Mesolithic Europe: New evidence from dental microwear |
| title_fullStr | Diet in Mesolithic Europe: New evidence from dental microwear |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diet in Mesolithic Europe: New evidence from dental microwear |
| title_short | Diet in Mesolithic Europe: New evidence from dental microwear |
| title_sort | diet in mesolithic europe new evidence from dental microwear |
| topic | palaeodiet tooth ware microware food Mesolithic Neolithic |
| url | http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue22/mclaughlin_index.html |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT trowanmclaughlin dietinmesolithiceuropenewevidencefromdentalmicrowear |