Publication details
The individual in the economy: high-resolution isotopic data for paleodiet and paleomobility reconstruction of individual life histories
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| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Although human depositions in settlement pits are a well-known phenomenon within the Baden culture, very little is known about the day-to-day life of Eneolithic man, especially of deposited individuals. Therefore a closer look at the human skeletal remains from Hronovce (SW Slovakia) will be taken, which were acquired from the bottom of a settlement pit. They belonged to a female aged 35-45 years. Traces on the bones and teeth suggest pathological anomalies documenting degenerative-productive changes and inflammation processes. Radiocarbon dating of a fragment of a compact bone after calibration is 3350-3090 calBC (2-sigma), which falls within the period of classical Baden culture. For the purpose of the quotidian life reconstruction, a series of high-resolution isotope analyses from teeth and bone was conducted, gaining a plastic picture of female’s life from the childhood (age 3-5) to the early adulthood (circa age 21) and in the last years of her life. Residential mobility was studied by radiogenic strontium isotope data (87Sr/86Sr) getting a resolution of 10-12 week slot. This information is confronted with strontium isotope fractionation (d88/86Sr) which is used to generate information about paleodietary practices. This knowledge connected with the light stable isotope data (d15Ncol and d13Ccol) from the same female is used to consider geologic variability of food sources. With this novel approach we can estimate weaning age and we are able to reconstruct seasonal variations of food in connection with paleomobility. Several studies showed that not all individuals had the same access to nutritional resources. Therefore social status of the female based on isotopic data was also estimated. Thus the individual life of the female from Hronovce (SW Slovakia) was successfully combined with the micro-economy of the Eneolithic household, proving the high-resolution isotope analysis as an invaluable tool to glimpse at the life of a particular individual |
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