Diet of the first agropastoral societies from the South of France: first isotopic data on carbonized Neolithic cereals and fruits and dietary modelling

Stable isotope analyses (delta C-13 and delta N-15) of human bones have been crucial for understanding the diets of Neolithic societies. However, isotopic measurements of wild and cultivated vegetal resources have not as yet been integrated into reconstructions of human diets. This study explores the isotopic variations in seed and fruit remains from seven Neolithic sites in Southern France. It aims to understand environmental and/or anthropic factors that could influence the isotopic ratios. These data are then included in a dietary model for individuals found at the same sites or nearby. Analysis of botanical remains indicate that similar environments do not provide homogeneous values. For some sites, results suggest different cultivation practices according to species. The dietary models confirm some interpretations previously proposed, including a diversity in the dietary habits at one site. However, some aspects of the diet could have been under-estimated, such as the consumption of wild food plants.