Calcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumption
The calcium isotope ratios (δ<sup>44/42</sup>Ca) of bones from humans and fauna from three archaeological sites, Taforalt, Abu Hureyra, and Danebury, are evaluated in order to assess whether calcium isotope ratios of bones can be used to detect dairy consumption by adult humans. At each...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2011
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| _version_ | 1826311479250386944 |
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| author | Reynard, L Henderson, G Hedges, R |
| author_facet | Reynard, L Henderson, G Hedges, R |
| author_sort | Reynard, L |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The calcium isotope ratios (δ<sup>44/42</sup>Ca) of bones from humans and fauna from three archaeological sites, Taforalt, Abu Hureyra, and Danebury, are evaluated in order to assess whether calcium isotope ratios of bones can be used to detect dairy consumption by adult humans. At each site the fauna δ<sup>44/42</sup>Ca is the same regardless of species, while the humans have lower δ<sup>44/42</sup>Ca than the local animals by 0.24-0.41‰ (site means). However we cannot ascribe this difference to dairy consumption, given this human-faunal difference also occurs in Epipalaeolithic and Mesolithic adult humans, where dairy consumption is unlikely. Rather, this difference appears to be a result of differences in metabolic processes or other aspects of diet between humans and fauna. Minimal isotopic change in sequential acid leaches of bone powders and consideration of the high calcium concentration in bone suggest that bone calcium isotope ratios are not substantially affected by diagenetic change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:08:55Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:f89b4aa8-140e-4fd9-bc9f-75efe4133ae7 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:08:55Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:f89b4aa8-140e-4fd9-bc9f-75efe4133ae72023-11-10T10:59:24ZCalcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumptionJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:f89b4aa8-140e-4fd9-bc9f-75efe4133ae7ArchaeologyEarth sciencesEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetElsevier2011Reynard, LHenderson, GHedges, RThe calcium isotope ratios (δ<sup>44/42</sup>Ca) of bones from humans and fauna from three archaeological sites, Taforalt, Abu Hureyra, and Danebury, are evaluated in order to assess whether calcium isotope ratios of bones can be used to detect dairy consumption by adult humans. At each site the fauna δ<sup>44/42</sup>Ca is the same regardless of species, while the humans have lower δ<sup>44/42</sup>Ca than the local animals by 0.24-0.41‰ (site means). However we cannot ascribe this difference to dairy consumption, given this human-faunal difference also occurs in Epipalaeolithic and Mesolithic adult humans, where dairy consumption is unlikely. Rather, this difference appears to be a result of differences in metabolic processes or other aspects of diet between humans and fauna. Minimal isotopic change in sequential acid leaches of bone powders and consideration of the high calcium concentration in bone suggest that bone calcium isotope ratios are not substantially affected by diagenetic change. |
| spellingShingle | Archaeology Earth sciences Reynard, L Henderson, G Hedges, R Calcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumption |
| title | Calcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumption |
| title_full | Calcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumption |
| title_fullStr | Calcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumption |
| title_full_unstemmed | Calcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumption |
| title_short | Calcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumption |
| title_sort | calcium isotopes in archaeological bones and their relationship to dairy consumption |
| topic | Archaeology Earth sciences |
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