| Summary: | A broad overview of stable carbon and nitrogen measurements of European Mesolithic human bone collagen demonstrates considerable structure in the dataset. The clearest difference, unsurprisingly, is seen between coastal and inland sites, though this oversimplifies a more complex situtation. With the coastal sample, there is a clear separation between the Baltic and Atlantic sites and those in the Mediterranean, with the latter showing the minimal use of marine foods. The inland sample also shows strong regional patterning, with evidence for a significant exploitation of freshwater aquatic resources clearly seen in some, but not all areas. This large-scale view subsumes some interesting local variations, supporting the view that, rather than being highly mobile, Mesolithic communities were organised within relatively small and stable territories.
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