Numerous studies have revealed links between prenatal/early-life stress and elevated morbidity and risks of mortality later in life. Given the number of subsistence crises in medieval England, this study uses stable isotopic, demographic, and paleopathological data from human skeletal remains ( n = 275) to assess associations between early-life nutritional stress and health outcomes before, during, and after the Black Death in London and rural Lincolnshire approximately 1000 to 1540 CE. Our results suggest that survivors of early-life nutritional stress were resilient with respect to causes of death in childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Ultimately, however, early-life nutritional stress was associated with the presence of skeletal biomarkers of stress and elevated mortality in middle and late adulthood in the medieval period, consistent with models from developmental biology. We find that the prevalence of nutritional stress increased before the Black Death and decreased afterward. Understanding the long-term consequences of early-life nutritional stress can offer insights on the health trajectories of historical populations.

Crisis mortality events such as disease epidemics and famines have long had major impacts on human health and demography, and clarifying variation in susceptibility to crisis mortality is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the larger-scale phenomena of human adaptation and biological variation. Previous bioarchaeological research using data from human skeletal remains has revealed variable patterns of biological, and by inference, social determinants of vulnerability to medieval famine and plague mortality. However, such previous work did not account for missing data and the potential associated biases. For this study, we apply a novel approach integrating dietary isotope, pathological, and demographic data into multinomial logistic regression analyses of mortality differentials during famine and plague events in medieval London, while controlling for missing data. The results suggest higher risks of famine and plague mortality for males and for individuals previously exposed to stressors, and higher risks of plague (but not famine) mortality for older adults. Further, we find evidence that protein-rich diets were protective against famine and plague mortality. Our findings highlight how various biological and social factors shaped risks of mortality in medieval London, even in the context of major mortality crises, which are often assumed to be indiscriminate in nature.

In this discussion, we argue for those who are literacy educators to reframe gossip as a dialogic, feminist act in their teaching and interpretation of gossip as framed in the literature they teach in secondary English language arts (ELA) classrooms. Reframing gossip as a feminist act invites meaning-makers to view those conversations and generative dialogues discursively gendered in deficit ways (or gossip) as proactive, productive, and powerful tools of connection between and within societies and communities. We share how we centered and created through a critical feminist lens, an ELA curriculum that supports gossip as a literary tool that drives narratives in plot formation, as well as a means to enhance characters' positions, personalities, allies, and enemies within a story. Most importantly, we use gossip as an analytical tool to reframe and promote gender equity, guiding preservice teachers and adolescents in critical analysis of the innumerable ways systems and institutions of power and privilege-such as race, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality-intersect in the fight for gender equality. First, we will discuss our guiding theoretical framework of critical feminist pedagogy to examine the ELA curriculum. Next, we share how the development of a curricular unit on reframing gossip in literature unfolded organically through a monthly Saturday workshop called "Writing Us In: Developing Critical Literacy Curriculum for ELA Classrooms." Then, we showcase how one preservice ELA teacher applied the critical feminist lenses examined within the workshop space to develop a linked text set and subsequent ELA curricular unit with the aims of her future students to critically analyze, from a feminist lens, how gossip is portrayed in society and how it is framed in literature. We end with a discussion of how our spotlight student reflects on this project and her key takeaways.

In 1991, a rescue excavation uncovered a unique early medieval burial (680-810 AD) of an adult female on the foreshore of the River Thames, London. Parts of her body had been covered by moss, and her body had been placed between two sheets of bark, with the grave marked by posts, making the body visible at high tide. Multidisciplinary analyses of the human remains shows that she was from London, and had survived a severe beating to her back that had been repeated before death, which was caused by a blow to her head. We suggest that she may have been beaten then executed, with the choice of burial location perhaps symbolizing execution by drowning.

From the early Medieval period, Christian monasteries were wealthy and powerful, and played a central role in both religious and political life. Those who entered the monasteries did so at the age of 7-8 years and were drawn from a wide range of social strata. From that point, they were subject to the dietary rules imposed by the rules of each monastic order. In order to assess the origins and diet of 10 monks who lived in the monastery of San Mill & PRIME;an de la Cogolla Yuso (La Rioja, Spain) during the 17th - 18th century, collagen from small sections of human dentine (representing the childhood diet) and from ribs (an average of the last 5-10 years of adult diet) was measured to establish lifetime variations in the isotope ratios of carbon (& delta;13C) and nitrogen (& delta;15N). Bulk collagen & delta;13C (overall mean =-18.2%o +/-0.4) and & delta;15N (overall mean = 12.6%o +/-0.8) values from the ribs suggest 2 adult cohorts: one with a diet based on C3 plants and a high intake of protein from meat or dairy products and some marine resources and a second cohort with some C4 plant consumption alongside meat and dairy. Data from the dentine sections revealed different dietary patterns during the period of tooth formation among the monks, suggesting that 4 of them entered the monastery after consuming lower status diets during childhood.

OBJECTIVES This study presents isotopic information for incremental dentine collagen and bone bulk collagen from individuals from the Canary Islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria) to explore dietary differences during childhood life. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight individuals have been studied, which comprises 122 δ15 N and δ13 C incremental dentine measurements and eight bulk bone collagen analyses. A baseline of potentially consumed food sources has been developed for comparative purposes. A food reconstruction using isotopic transferred signals (FRUITS) model of probable contributions of each food source towards the diet of each individual has been developed. All samples but one belongs to the later period of indigenous occupation of the archipelago. RESULTS The dentine collagen data are presented in correlated δ13 C and δ15 N plots per individual, showing the isotopic changes throughout time. δ15 N values for each individual tend to be variable whereas δ13 C data are generally more stable with a range of +9.1 to +14‰ for δ15 N and -17.4 to -20.8‰ for δ13 C. CONCLUSION The isotopic analysis allows for the reconstruction of eight dietary profiles, which allow us to estimate the different dietary protein sources. The FRUITS model shows different percentages of the primary food sources for each individual. Where both δ13 C and δ15 N are elevated, this could be indicative of a higher marine contribution to the diet. There appear to be two main dietary profiles identifiable in the dataset and these may be related to changes in status or place of residence. Short-term variations in δ13 C and δ15 N and opposing co-variance of isotopic values can be indicative of nutritional stress, although metabolic changes during growth are also considered.

BACKGROUND:There are few reliable osteological indicators to detect parity or infer puberty in skeletal remains. Nitrogen (δ15N) and stable carbon (δ13C) isotope ratios in human tissues can be affected by metabolically unbalanced states engendered by pregnancy or rapid growth, offering potential biomarkers. AIM:This pilot study explores the potential of incremental dentine-collagen isotope ratio analysis to identify puberty and gestation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS:Incremental dentine δ15N and δ13C profiles were produced by analysing third molars extracted as part of dental treatment of 10 individuals living in Sudan. Demographic and anthropometric data at the time of tooth extraction was available. Medical histories were unknown. RESULTS:Isotopic signatures potentially related to pubertal growth, with an average δ15N reduction of 0.78 ± 0.29‰, are indicated. Six isotopic signals suggestive of pregnancy, with an average δ15N decrease of 0.48 ± 0.22‰, are also observed. The timing, speed and amplitude of post-partum δ15N patterns seemingly infer infant feeding practices and maternal nutritional status. CONCLUSION:This pilot study highlights the potential of incremental dentine isotope analysis for the reconstruction of early reproductive histories in skeletal remains. However, controlled studies with a larger human cohort are needed to validate these findings, establish isotopic signals linked to puberty and lactation, and improve chronology accuracy.

Santiago de Compostela is, together with Rome and Jerusalem, one of the three main pilgrimage and religious centres for Catholicism. The belief that the remains of St James the Great, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, is buried there has stimulated, since their reported discovery in the 9th century AD, a significant flow of people from across the European continent and beyond. Little is known about the practical experiences of people living within the city during its rise to prominence, however. Here, for the first time, we combine multi-isotope analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 18 O ap , δ 13 C ap and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) and radiocarbon dating ( 14 C) of human remains discovered at the crypt of the Cathedral of Santiago to directly study changes in diet and mobility during the first three centuries of Santiago’s emergence as an urban centre (9th–12th centuries AD). Together with assessment of the existing archaeological data, our radiocarbon chronology broadly confirms historical tradition regarding the first occupation of the site. Isotopic analyses reveal that the foundation of the religious site attracted migrants from the wider region of the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly from further afield. Stable isotope analysis of collagen, together with information on tomb typology and location, indicates that the inhabitants of the city experienced increasing socioeconomic diversity as it became wealthier as the hub of a wide network of pilgrimage. Our research represents the potential of multidisciplinary analyses to reveal insights into the origins and impacts of the emergence of early pilgrimage centres on the diets and status of communities within Christian mediaeval Europe and beyond.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) has recurrently been associated with a rich diet (high in protein and higher trophic level foods); however, very few studies have investigated this link using carbon and nitrogen ( δ 13 C and δ 15 N) stable isotope analysis. This paper explores the relationship between DISH and diet in two Roman urban communities by analyzing individuals with and without DISH. δ 13 C and δ 15 N analysis carried out on collagen from 33 rib samples (No DISH: 27; early DISH: 4; DISH: 2) selected from individuals buried at the Romano-British site of Baldock (UK), 41 rib samples (No DISH: 38; early DISH: 3) from individuals from the Catalan Roman site of Santa Caterina (Barcelona, Spain). Additionally, six faunal samples from Baldock and seven from Santa Caterina were analyzed. Standardized human isotope data from Santa Caterina show high δ 15 N probably associated to a diet combining terrestrial resources and freshwater fish. In contrast, isotope results from Baldock suggest a terrestrial-based diet. Individuals with DISH do not show isotopic ratios indicative of rich diet and there is no correlation between stage of DISH development and δ 13 C and δ 15 N. The results of this study suggest that individuals with DISH followed a similar or isotopically similar diet as those individuals without DISH in Baldock and in Santa Caterina and therefore, while DISH may have been influenced by individual's dietary habits, this is not reflected in their isotopic signature.

Rationale Sampling of dentine for stable carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen (delta N-15) isotope ratios in the direction of tooth growth allows the study of temporal changes to the diet and physiological stress of an individual during tooth formation. Current methods of sampling permanent teeth using 1 mm increments provide temporal resolution of 6-9 months at best depending on the tooth chosen. Although this gives sufficient sample sizes for reliable analysis by mass spectrometry, sectioning the dentine across the incremental structures results in a rolling average of the isotope ratios. A novel method of incremental dentine collagen sampling has been developed to decrease the collagen increment size to 0.35 mm along the incremental structures, thus reducing averaging and improving the temporal resolution of short-term changes within the delta C-13 and delta N-15 values. Methods This study presents data for a MicroMill-assisted sampling method that allows for sampling at 0.35 mm width x 1 mm depth increments following the incremental growth pattern of dentine. A NewWave MicroMill was used to sample the demineralised dentine section of modern donated human third molars from Sudan and compared to data from the same teeth using the 1 mm incremental sectioning method 2 established by Beaumont et al. Results The delta C-13 and delta N-15 isotopic data showed an increased temporal resolution, with each increment providing data for 2-4 months of dentine formation. Conclusions The data show the potential of this method for studying dietary reconstruction, nutritional stress, and physiological change with greater temporal resolution potentially to seasonal level and with less attenuation of the delta C-13 and delta N-15 values than was previously possible from human dentine.

Objective: This project sought to investigate whether an association may be observed between isotopic stress indicators and skeletal evidence of pathological conditions. Materials: Deciduous and permanent teeth of 15 non-adults from two contemporaneous mid-19th century London burial grounds (City Bunhill, Lukin Street). Methods: delta C-13 and delta N-15 was measured in the incrementally sectioned dentine collagen. Isotopic profiles for each individual included death during tooth development. Results: Individuals with skeletal evidence of chronic pathological conditions (e.g., rickets, tuberculosis) exhibited raised delta N-15 values of 0.5-1.7 parts per thousand in the months prior to death. Isotopic change consistent with chronic physiological stress prior to death was also recorded in two individuals with no skeletal evidence of disease. An offset was observed between co-forming bone and dentine delta N-15 values in both populations, indicating that bone and dentine are not recording the same isotopic changes. Conclusions: Isotopic change consistent with chronic physiological stress was observed in both those with and without skeletal evidence of disease, suggesting that adaptation to chronic stress in childhood was not uncommon within these 19th century London populations. Significance: Chronic physiological stress prior to death may be seen in the incrementally sampled dentine of non adults who die during tooth formation. Limitations: The temporal resolution of current dentine micro-sampling methods may mask or minimise visibility of shorter-term periods of stress or dietary change. Suggestions for further research: Future research should further explore the relationship between specific skeletal pathologies and isotopic evidence for stress.

Breastfeeding is known to be a powerful mediator of maternal and childhood health, with impacts throughout the life course. Paleodietary studies of the past 30 years have accordingly taken an enduring interest in the health and diet of young children as a potential indicator of population fertility, subsistence, and mortality patterns. While progress has been made in recent decades toward acknowledging the agency of children, many paleodietary reconstructions have failed to incorporate developments in cognate disciplines revealing synergistic dynamics between maternal and offspring biology. Paleodietary interpretation has relied heavily on the "weanling's dilemma," in which infants are thought to face a bleak choice between loss of immunity or malnutrition. Using a review of immunological and epidemiological evidence for the dynamic and supportive role that breastfeeding plays throughout the complementary feeding period, this article offers context and nuance for understanding past feeding transitions. We suggest that future interpretative frameworks for infant paleodietary and bioarchaeological research should include a broad knowledge base that keeps pace with relevant developments outside of those disciplines.

Archaeological skeletal material from most sites represents a cross-sectional, opportunistic sample of the burials. These are influenced by the proportion and area of the site that is excavated, the taphonomic conditions, and survival of tissues. This may not be representative of the population, and in an attritional cemetery may represent a long period of use, during which humans will have differing life courses. Here we describe a commingled skeletal assemblage, the only human remains recovered from the historically significant medieval site of St Stephen's Chapel, Palace of Westminster, London. Using carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) stable isotope ratios of bulk bone collagen and incremental dentine to investigate dietary life histories from five individuals, we combine the evidence with radiocarbon dating to assign them to two different temporal cohorts.

The study presents results of the investigations of diet based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (delta C-13 and delta N-15) of the bone collagen of individuals buried in medieval elite chamber graves from the territory of the state of the first Piasts, Poland (the second half of the 10th and the first half of the 11th century). The aim of the research was to determine the diet of individuals buried in such funerary structures, to compare this with commoners buried in ordinary graves, and investigate any sex-related patterns. Rib bone samples were taken from individuals buried in chamber graves at Bodzia, Dziekanowice, Pien and Sowinki. Results indicate that the elite male diet was based on C-3 plants with possible contribution of some C-4 plants (millet) and substantial consumption of animal proteins including fish. The bone collagen delta C-13 and delta N-15 of male chamber burials suggested consumption of higher trophic level foodstuffs (meat and fish) whilst the female diet, and that of the juveniles, was similar to the commoners in the rest of the population.