Issue 4 (73)
| THE DIET SYSTEM OF THE POPULATION OF THE FOREST AND STEPPE ZONE OF EASTERN EUROPE IN THE 4TH–3RD MILLENNIA BC AND DIETARY RESOURCES: INTERPRETATION OF STABLE ISOTOPE DATA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2021 | Number | 4(73) |
| Pages | 50-59 | Type | scientific article |
| UDC | 902.652 | BBK | 63.442.6(2) |
| Authors | Shishlina Natalia I. Kuznetsova Olga V. Sevastyanov Vyacheslav S. |
Topic | SOCIAL BIOARCHAEOLOGY |
| Summary | Reconstruction of food components by traditional archaeological methods has been successfully complemented by stable isotope analysis. Traditional archaeological materials and data of archaeozoological analysis suggest that the Meshchera population diet had many food components associated with hunting and fishing. Steppe inhabitants consumed meat and milk of domesticated animals, hunted the kulan and saiga; the analysis of vessel residue and interdental teeth space revealed importance of the plant component. Determination of the nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in the diet system components of the Volosovo and Shagara populations inhabiting the forest belt and the Yamnaya population living in the steppe areas of Eastern Europe in 4000–3000 BC provided an opportunity to discuss the relationship between isotopic values of other diet components and specific isotopic composition of ancient humans. Our study has demonstrated that the Volosovo population actively exploited forest resources and consumed mushrooms, probably, nuts and fish in smaller quantities as evidenced by a lack of the reservoir effect in the human bones. The Shagara group was supposed to include more fish in its diet in addition to meat which led to apparent age of the humans. Elevated values of δ13Ñ and δ15N in the Yamnaya population bone tissue were, probably, also caused by consumption of food products with an elevated δ15N value, most likely, mushrooms and nuts as well as water components. Differences in the isotopic composition of human bones can help clarify the areas of the exploited natural resources. | ||
| Keywords | diet system, δ13Ñ and δ15N values, forest and steppe belts of Åastern Europe | ||
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