OBJECTIVES:To investigate whether the presence of interglobular dentine (IGD), reflecting periods of suboptimal vitamin D levels, affects serial carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values in incremental dentine profiles. MATERIAL:Nine individuals, represented by eight 1st molars and one canine from Hattem, Beemster (Netherlands), and Koekelberg (Belgium) cemeteries (17th-19th cent. CE). Eight teeth had IGD previously identified via microscopy, and one displayed no IGD. METHODS:The two common sequential dentine methodologies, micro-slicing and micro-punching, were applied to measure serial δ13C and δ15N variation within each tooth. RESULTS:Incremental δ13C ranged from -21.4‰ to -18.8‰, and δ15N from 9.3‰ to 18.2‰. Comparisons between increments with and without IGD revealed minimal isotopic differences, with IGD increments showing slight δ13C (0.1‰) and δ15N (0.2‰) depletion. CONCLUSIONS:IGD, and accordingly vitamin D deficiency, had a minimal effect on δ13C and δ15N values from human dentine and did not affect the incremental sampling conclusions on diet and weaning. SIGNIFICANCE:This pilot study suggests that there seems to be no clear link between periods of vitamin D deficiency and serial δ13C and δ15N variations. LIMITATIONS:The limited sequential δ13C and δ15N analysis of more 'control' individuals with no detected IGD from the three cemeteries, due to the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency at the time. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:Continued sequential analysis of populations with IGD, from different periods and/or geographic locations, to confirm the findings of this case report.

This dataset includes stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope measurements from bone and dentine collagen of 38 human and 10 faunal samples dated to the 1st to 4th centuries CE. The material derived from three Roman sites in Germania Inferior that were located along the northwestern frontier of the Roman Empire, the limes, and Via Belgica respectively: Xanten (Colonia Ulpia Traiana) in Germany and Valkenburg-Marktveld (Praetorium Agrippinae) in the Netherlands, and Tongeren (Atuatuca Tungrorum) in Belgium. All analyses were performed using a Thermo DELTA™ Q Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer, coupled with a Flash elemental analyser. The isotopic data of the collagen samples are presented in δ notation (‰) normalized to the international standard VPDB (Vienna Peedee Belemnite) and atmospheric nitrogen (air) for carbon and nitrogen respectively. The acquired dataset provides a reference for isotopic studies of diet and subsistence in Roman frontier populations and is suitable for reuse in research on dietary reconstruction and for cross-site comparisons. This data article summarises the obtained carbon and nitrogen isotope data, which are deposited in the open access IsoArcH repository (www.isoarch.org) for future studies.

AbstractAncient DNA (aDNA) analysis has transformed how we study human migration, species dispersals and environmental change, but poor preservation remains a major challenge. This is especially true in tropical settings, where hot and humid conditions accelerate DNA decay. Because aDNA work is destructive, knowing how long DNA survives and under what conditions is crucial for selecting samples likely to yield meaningful data while minimizing damage. Here, we analyse low-coverage shotgun data from over 300 human samples from 33 archaeological sites (3300–400 cal. BP) in the Caribbean to evaluate the effects of sample age, sample type and burial context on DNA preservation. Preservation varied markedly both between and within sites, with sample type and burial context exerting strong effects. Macroscopic inspection, though imperfect, proved a useful first line predictor of molecular preservation. Decay-rate modelling indicates that DNA decays roughly 4× faster in the Caribbean than in temperate regions and about 14× faster than in subpolar settings. Under these conditions we predict that recovery from remains significantly older than approximately 5000 years will be challenging. Encouragingly, this window encompasses most of the region's human history, indicating that much of it remains accessible to aDNA analysis, provided suitable samples can be found and appropriate excavation and post-excavation protocols are followed.

Narratives about the motivations and conditions for mass violence as a persistent feature of conflict throughout human history have evolved in complexity and materiality. Victims of these events are key for understanding the evolution and transformative power of violent behaviour as it developed from simple intergroup conflict to more strategic mass violence. Here we present the results of a bioarchaeological study of 77 and biomolecular analysis of 25 individuals from a ninth-century BCE mass grave from Gomolava in the Carpathian Basin, Southeast Europe. The site is located at the interface of complex sociospatial relations, divergent cultural traditions and values, and competing ideologies of landscape use. We show that excessive lethal violence enacted mostly on women and children suggests a selective demographic bias. The people buried together shared few, even distant, genetic relationships, and so their killing presents striking evidence for an episode of cross-regional conflict and an underlying aggressive shift in power, violence and gender relations in the region. Gomolava provides evidence consistent with deliberate annihilation of select sections of a regional population as a motivation for mass violence behaviour in later prehistoric Europe. It also shines new light on the socioeconomic agency and importance of women and young individuals in later European prehistory.

Given the recent attention to questions of ownership and restitution, museums are strongly investing in researching the provenance of their collections, using historical sources that document the context of acquisition and transfer of ownership of specific objects. However, many objects lack documented provenance, especially older collections (pre-1850). The present work is an interdisciplinary effort by archaeologists and anthropologists in applying archaeometric analytical methods on ethnographic Amerindians clubs housed in the Netherlands. In this article, we assess the promises and limitations of using strontium isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating to disentangle the archival knots that formed in museum catalogues since the early 19th century. Concretely, we analyzed five (supposedly) South-American wooden clubs from the collection of the former Dutch Royal Cabinet of Rarities, currently part of the collection of the National Museum of World Cultures in The Netherlands. Our results show that while cataloguing palimpsests can lead to the mislabeling of objects, archaeometric analyses can effectively help to correct these errors. (c) 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Recent archaeological research has revealed a significant intensification of agricultural practices in prehistoric China. Traditional historical perspectives suggest that the Han Dynasty also saw notable advancements in agriculture, though supporting evidence from archaeological science, along with comparative studies of farmland management practices between these two critical periods, remains limited. Here, we analyzed carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from common millets (Panicum miliaceum) and foxtail millets (Setaria italica) recovered from four Han Dynasty tombs (Longzaocun, 2002CSX, 2008XJG, and Sanyaocun) and one Late Neolithic site (Ziweitianyuan) in the Guanzhong Basin, Central China. Our results integrate previously published millet isotope data spanning the Late Neolithic to Han Dynasty, reveal a long-term trajectory of agricultural management practices in the Guanzhong Basin under changing climatic conditions from about 3625 BCE to AD 220. Compared to the Late Neolithic period, the delta 13C values of common and foxtail millets in the Han capital and its surrounding areas decreased by 3.4 %o and 3.8 %o, respectively, while the delta 15N values increased by 6.5 %o and 2.7 %o, indicating an intensification of fertilization strategies. Combined with historical records, this study provides direct evidence of how farmland management in the Han Dynasty maintained soil fertility and agricultural productivity in response to the progressively arid and cold climate of the Holocene, thereby deepening our understanding of soil memory.

The early populations that inhabited the Antilles were traditionally understood as highly mobile groups of hunters/fishers and gatherers. Although more recent data have demonstrated that some populations engaged in the production of domestic plants and cultivars, questions remain about other aspects of their lifeways, including whether the adoption of domesticates was accompanied by a decrease in residential mobility. The level of sedentism in a population is an instrumental variable to understand community social relations and complexity, adaptations, and lifeways. Here, we combined enamel strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (delta 18Oen), and carbon ( delta 13 C en ) isotopes of 44 human teeth from the site of Can & iacute;mar Abajo-where the oldest human remains from the insular Caribbean have been reported-to examine the mobility patterns of early Antillean groups. In contrast with traditional narratives, the homogeneous strontium isotope values observed in most individuals from the older funerary area of the site (cal. BC 2237-790) were consistent with the pattern expected for a sedentary population subsisting primarily on local resources obtained close to the coast. The isotopic evidence reveals that between cal. AD 403-1282, the mound was reused for funerary practices by both local communities and nonlocal individuals. The evidence suggests that this period saw higher population mobility, with influxes of individuals from more distant locations and diverse dietary and burial traditions. The isotope results from Can & iacute;mar Abajo provide the earliest isotopic evidence of populations with low- level residential mobility in the Antilles.

This study presents the results of osteoarchaeological and isotopic analyses conducted on human skeletal remains from the site of Fort Amsterdam, an eighteenth century depot that held enslaved captives on the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius. Owing to coastal erosion, human burials are frequently exposed, and partial burials have therefore been recovered in the context of rescue excavations over several years by archaeologists from two institutions. Archival evidence indicates that this burial ground was used by the African and Afro-Caribbean population of St. Eustatius, but is unclear about whether its use was restricted to the captives at Fort Amsterdam or whether it also served the wider population of the island. We applied osteological analysis to construct biological profiles for these individuals (n=22) including information about sex, age, and palaeopathology. We also conducted multiple isotope (strontium, oxygen, carbon) analysis on a subset of the individuals (n=6) to determine if they were locally born or first generation forced migrants, assess their childhood diets, and investigate their natal origins. Despite preservation challenges, the osteological analysis showed that this population consisted of 4 non-adults (3 infants and 1 adolescent), 16 adults (including 3 females and 1 male), and 2 unidentifiable individuals. Observed pathologies included dental pathologies and occupational markers. These findings, while limited, provide information about the life experiences of the buried population. Meanwhile, the isotopic analysis indicated that three adult female individuals were born in Africa, while the adult male individual and two of the infants were Creole. Therefore, the burial ground was probably used by both the captives at the depot and by the wider African and Afro-Caribbean population of the island. We show that even complex collections of partial remains are extremely important archives of information about the lives of past peoples for whom historical evidence is often sparse. N.B. A plain language summary is available at the end of the article.

In this paper, we sought to examine whether people with different lifeways, as evidenced by their mobility patterns and dietary practices, inhabited the Antilles in early precolonial time. We also aimed to explore spatiotemporal trends. New and previously published enamel strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope data were combined with bone apatite carbon and bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data to assess the mobility and diet of 146 individuals from eight early precolonial sites from Cuba. At least three patterns of mobility, associated with different dietary signals, were identified. In contrast with the low 87Sr/86Sr and δ13Cen variability found in Canímar Abajo (CA) between bce 1320 and 807, more variability in dietary practices and higher mobility was apparent in later groups. Between bce 116 and 241 ce, individuals from Playa del Mango showed high mobility within the Cauto region, likely associated with food procurement between inland and coastal areas. From at least 174 ce, a moderate pattern of mobility and a diversity of dietary traditions could be observed among groups from western sites. At least three general dietary patterns were observed, ranging from a 100% C3 diet to 70:30 C3/C4 and, in the case of CA, a higher dependence on marine/C4 resources. The differences observed in both mobility and diet between and within populations support the notion that groups with different lifeways inhabited the Antilles in precolonial times. This diverse mosaic of cultural traits defies attempts to group them into broad categories for regional studies of biological and cultural traits.

Abstract This chapter explores the intricate challenges of interpreting isotopic data for paleodiet and paleomobility studies in island and coastal regions. Isotope analyses have become indispensable for unraveling past lifeways, ranging from human diet and mobility to animal husbandry and subsistence practices. Notably, dietary studies extend beyond mere reconstructions, probing into broader biosocial, cultural, and political aspects of the past. In this chapter, the authors bring together global archaeological isotope specialists to present regional overviews and address the complexities associated with interpreting isotope data in island and coastal regions. They hope this chapter serves as a valuable resource for researchers navigating similar environments and fosters an enhanced understanding of isotope science within the context of broader (bio)archaeological investigations.

Archaeological research in the Caribbean has been extensive and has revealed that, since its first settlement, the region has been characterized by continuous interaction between its inhabitants. However, there are certain areas, like the islands of the southern Caribbean (islands off the Venezuelan coast), that are understudied, despite being a source of information regarding connections with the South American mainland. The aim of this research is to investigate the lifeways of eight individuals from the island of Bonaire through isotopic data to identify non-locals, and to examine dietary patterns within the site. In order to establish the residential histories of the eight individuals, strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (delta 18 omicron) isotopes from the dental enamel were analyzed. The results were evaluated based on existing isotopic baselines and indicate that all eight individuals can be considered isotopically local. In order to investigate patterns of paleodiet, carbon isotopes from the dental enamel (delta 13Cen) and carbon (delta 13Ccol) and nitrogen isotopes (delta 15Ncol) from the dental dentin were also analyzed. Four out of the eight individuals provided results and interestingly, despite the small sample size, they had variable dietary preferences, suggesting a combination of different plants and animal resources were consumed.

Paleoethnobotanical and stable isotope studies have demonstrated that the indigenous groups that populated the Antilles, traditionally understood as dependent exclusively on wild resources, cultivated and consumed both C3 and C4 plants even before the arrival of the ceramic-bearing Arawak groups. However, the relative importance of cultigens and the differential use of plants, especially maize, between populations and individuals remains un-known. In this paper we combined the analysis of stable isotopes (delta 15N, delta 13Cco, delta 13Cen, delta 13Cap, delta 34S) of 27 in-dividuals from the archaeological site of Playa del Mango, Cuba with the identification of starch grains in dental calculus. The stable isotope results indicate that the sampled population had a 70:30 C3/C4 diet, where at least 65 % was based on C3 protein. Starches from C3 (e.g., Marantaceae, Ipomoea batatas) and C4 plants (Zea mays) were found in similar proportions (50:50). These results support that the lack or abundance of starch grains cannot be used to infer directly the frequency at which C3 and C4 plants were consumed within a small popu-lation. Statistically significant differences between females and males in the carbon isotope composition of diet, and its energy portion, suggests a differential consumption of plants by sex. Playa del Mango individual diets were statistically different from those of coeval sites, supporting our previous findings that groups with different dietary traditions concurrently inhabited Cuba in precolonial times. The study demonstrates the power of combined use of stable isotope models, and starch analysis, to provide a more nuanced reconstruction of dietary practices in past human populations.

Human populations have been shaped by catastrophes that may have left long-lasting signatures in their ge-nomes. One notable example is the second plague pandemic that entered Europe in ca. 1,347 CE and repeat-edly returned for over 300 years, with typical village and town mortality estimated at 10%-40%.1 It is assumed that this high mortality affected the gene pools of these populations. First, local population crashes reduced genetic diversity. Second, a change in frequency is expected for sequence variants that may have affected survival or susceptibility to the etiologic agent (Yersinia pestis).2 Third, mass mortality might alter the local gene pools through its impact on subsequent migration patterns. We explored these factors using the Nor-wegian city of Trondheim as a model, by sequencing 54 genomes spanning three time periods: (1) prior to the plague striking Trondheim in 1,349 CE, (2) the 17th-19th century, and (3) the present. We find that the pandemic period shaped the gene pool by reducing long distance immigration, in particular from the British Isles, and inducing a bottleneck that reduced genetic diversity. Although we also observe an excess of large FST values at multiple loci in the genome, these are shaped by reference biases introduced by mapping our relatively low genome coverage degraded DNA to the reference genome. This implies that attempts to detect selection using ancient DNA (aDNA) datasets that vary by read length and depth of sequencing coverage may be particularly challenging until methods have been developed to account for the impact of differential refer-ence bias on test statistics.

Analysis of the spatial and temporal structure of global island colonization allows us to frame the extent of insular human cultural diversity, model the impact of common environmental factors cross-culturally, and understand the contribution of island maritime societies to big historical processes. No such analysis has, however, been undertaken since the 1980s. In this paper we review and update global patterns in island colonization, synthesizing data from all the major island groups and theaters and undertaking quantitative and qualitative analysis of these data. We demonstrate the continued relevance of certain biogeographic and environmental factors in structuring how humans colonized islands during the Holocene. Our analysis also suggests the importance of other factors, some previously anticipated—such as culturally ingrained seafaring traditions and technological enhancement of dispersal capacity—but some not, such as the relationship between demographic growth and connectivity, differing trophic limitations impinging on colonizing farmers versus hunter-gatherer-foragers, and the constraining effects of latitude. We also connect colonization with continental dynamics: both the horizontal transmission of farming lifestyles earlier in the Holocene, and subsequent centrifugal processes associated with early state formation later in the Holocene.

Rationale Strontium isotope ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) analysis of skeletal remains has become a powerful tool in archaeological studies of human migration and mobility. Owing to its resistance to post‐mortem alteration, dental enamel is the preferred sampling material used for 87 Sr/ 86 Sr analysis in bioarchaeological provenance research, although recent studies have demonstrated that cremated bone is also generally resistant to diagenesis. This paper presents the results of a pilot study exploring the potential of unburnt petrous bone (pars petrosa) as a reservoir of biogenic (diagenetically unaltered) strontium, as the otic capsule or bony labyrinth within the petrous bone is extremely dense and is thought to be unable to remodel after early childhood, potentially providing an alternative for dental enamel. Methods From an individual from a colonial‐era (18th century) site on the island of Saba in the Caribbean for whom previous enamel 87 Sr/ 86 Sr results had indicated non‐local origins, multiple locations ( n = 4) on the petrous were sampled and measured for strontium isotope composition. Saba (13 km 2 ) has been extensively mapped for baseline strontium isotopes ( n = 50) with 87 Sr/ 86 Sr varying from ca 0.7065 to 0.7090, whereas enamel 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ( n = 3) ranged from 0.7104 to 0.7112. Results All four petrous 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios (0.7111–0.7122) are consistently and considerably higher than the local bioavailable range, and very similar to the enamel 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. These results provide initial evidence that unburnt petrous bones may preserve biogenic strontium, at least in this specific burial context. Conclusions While more research in diverse burial conditions is needed to validate this observation, if confirmed, it would have broader implications for sample selection strategies in bioarchaeological studies using the strontium isotope method.

Abstract In the Greater Antilles, certain animal taxa that have long been theorized to have been managed by indigenous peoples prior to AD1492, the main candidates being a group of endemic caviomorph rodents known as hutias (Capromyinae). This isotopic study investigates the paleodiets of several species of endemic rodents from three late precolonial sites in the northern Dominican Republic: El Flaco (cal. ad 990–1452), El Carril (cal. ad 1030–1262), and La Entrada (cal. ad 840–900) to assess whether human influence over animal diets can be determined. We examined bone collagen carbon (δ13Cco) and nitrogen (δ15N) and tooth enamel carbon (δ13Cen) isotope values of three species of hutias, Isolobodon portoricensis , Isolobodon montanus , and Plagiodontia aedium , alongside edible rat (Brotomys sp.), and domestic guinea pig ( Cavia porcellus ). To estimate dietary source contributions, we employed a Bayesian dietary mixing model (FRUITS v.3.0) and ran three different permutations to assess the relative contributions of C3 or C4/CAM plants. The addition of an extra 79 wild C3 and 40 wild C4/CAM plant species' isotope values from published sources to an established isotopic foodweb for the Caribbean region enabled us to discriminate between wild and domestic C3 and C4/CAM plant food sources in two of these models. Our results provide evidence of the significant consumption of domestic C4/CAM plants by some animals. This likely represents maize ( Zea mays ) consumption, which is known to have been ubiquitously cultivated by indigenous peoples in the region. This is particularly the case for I. portoricensis , as FRUITS modeling suggests that a few individuals consumed C4/CAM plants well beyond their expected natural diets as determined from feeding studies of extant hutia species. This may indicate human influence over endemic rodent diets due to niche construction activities such as horticultural practices and may reflect either opportunistic feeding on human produce or the purposeful supplementation of hutia diets by humans.

This paper explores the potential of combining different isotope systems from different tissues to improve resolution when reconstructing breastfeeding and weaning practices (BWP) in archaeology. Additionally, we tested whether changes in diet can be detected in deciduous teeth. Rib collagen samples from 22 infants/children from the archaeological site of Bacuranao I (Mayabeque, Cuba) were processed for nitrogen (δ 15 N) and carbon (δ 13 C co ) stable isotopes and assessed using a Bayesian model (WARN). In addition, enamel of 48 teeth from 30 infants/children were analyzed for oxygen (δ 18 O en ) and carbon (δ 13 C en ) stable isotopes. Data revealed that the timing of weaning cannot be characterized precisely by analyzing either δ 18 O or δ 15 N. While a depletion in both δ 15 N and δ 13 C co is only evident after one year, the WARN model suggested that the weaning process started at around 3 months and ended around 1.7 years. Most teeth were enriched in δ 18 O en compared to deciduous incisors, suggesting a breastfeeding signal. However, a high variability in δ 18 O was found between similar teeth from the same individuals. Higher enrichment in δ 18 O en , and variability, was observed in tissues formed during the first six months of life. A δ 13 C enrichment of 1.0‰ was observed among deciduous teeth and ribs. While most individuals enriched in δ 15 N showed enrichment in δ 13 C, the δ 18 O values were more variable. Our data suggests that stable isotopes of deciduous teeth, especially δ 13 C en , can be used to detect changes in diet during the weaning process. It is also possible that the δ 18 O enrichment observed in M1 is influenced by the effects of cooking techniques on weaning foods. The combination of multiple isotope systems and tissues overcome some of the limitations posed by single tissue approaches.

There are certain animal candidates for which researchers have long speculated as having been managed, or possibly domesticated, by indigenous peoples in the pre-Columbian Caribbean, the primary candidate being some members of a group of caviomorph rodents known as hutia (Capromyinae). This study comprises an isotopic and morphological investigation of the potential management of an extinct species endemic to Hispaniola, the Puerto Rican hutia (Isolobodon portoricensis). For comparisons, isotopic analysis was conducted of bone collagen samples examining carbon (partial derivative C-13(co)) and nitrogen (partial derivative N-15) values of I. portoricensis with two other species of endemic hutia, guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), Antillean slider (Trachemys stejnegeri), rhinoceros iguana (Cyclura cornuta) and edible rat (Brotomys sp.) from four sites in the Dominican Republic: El Flaco, El Carril, El Cabo and La Entrada. This data was compared to human and dog collagen values available from El Flaco to assess similarities between these groups. Osteometric data was recorded for hutia mandibles, allowing for body mass estimations (n = 230). The findings suggest that some Isolobodon portoricensis specimens possessed carbon (delta C-13(co)) values similar to humans and dogs at El Flaco, possibly associated with the consumption of agriculturally produced maize. This research does not indicate whether domestication or management of this species was occurring, at least not in a systematic way. Concurrence with palaeoenvironmental and zooarchaeological data from the region in which El Flaco and El Carril are located indicate that indigenous agricultural practices may have affected populations of hutia, perhaps by attracting them and supporting them within anthropogenic mosaic landscapes. The data also suggests that some degree of either purposeful feeding or scavenging from human agricultural plots was occurring and supports some degree of commensalism between humans and Puerto Rican hutia at these sites.