PALEODIET: Calibration and application of novel stable isotope (Ca, Sr and Zn) proxies for paleodietary reconstructions

• Applicants: Dr. Klervia Jaouen; Professor Dr. Thomas Tütken
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology ; Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology ; Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2017 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 378496604

We are what we eat: diet can be inferred from stable isotope compositions of bones and teeth of humans which have been studied since 40 years to reconstruct the diets of past populations. Much progress has been made in the field of human paleodiet research using nitrogen and carbon isotopes. However, these classical dietary proxies, especially the collagen-based nitrogen isotopes, are due to diagenetic biases often difficult to apply beyond 50,000 years BP. Paleolithic hominin diets can therefore not be easily assessed. The objectives of the PALEODIET research project are to: 1) calibrate and combine new non-traditional stable isotope (Zn, Ca, Sr) proxies capable of assessing dietary information currently beyond reach, 2) apply this new isotope toolbox to provide uprecedent insights into Neanderthal diets and enable us to test prevailing feeding hypotheses. Variations in Zn, Ca and stable Sr isotopic compositions can be used to fingerprint food sources that cannot be identified with current dietary proxies and quantify the consumption of different food categories. This proposal focuses on three main topics: 1) characterize the zinc isotope compositions of important human food sources, 2) assess bone marrow and fat consumption in Paleolithic food webs and Neanderthal diets, 3) determine fish and shellfish exploitation of protohistoric populations from Brazil and Portugal. By calibrating and applying Zn, Ca as well as stable Sr isotopes on modern and upper/middle Paleolithic faunal and human remains, we will develop new dietary proxies that have the potential to be applied to ancient fossil skeletal remains. This will provide new insights into the link between major dietary transitions (i.e. first animal protein and shellfish consumption) and main evolutionary steps of the human lineage.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants