Publication details
Strontium isotopes and concentrations in cremated bones suggest an increased salt consumption in Gallo-Roman diet
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | SCIENTIFIC REPORTS |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | URL |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12880-4 |
| Keywords | CALCIUM-METABOLISM; RATIOS; IMPACT; SR-87/SR-86; APATITE; SODIUM; ORIGIN |
| Attached files | |
| Description | The high temperatures reached during cremation lead to the destruction of organic matter preventing the use of traditional isotopic methods for dietary reconstructions. Still, strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) and concentration ([Sr]) analyses of cremated human remains offer a novel way to assess changing consumption patterns in past populations that practiced cremation, as evidenced by a large amount of new data obtained from Metal Ages and Gallo-Roman human remains from Destelbergen, Belgium. The Gallo-Roman results show significantly higher [Sr] and a narrower interquartile range in 87Sr/86Sr (0.7093–0.7095), close to the value of modern-day seawater (0.7092). This contrasts with the Metal Ages results, which display lower concentrations and a wider range in 87Sr/86Sr (0.7094–0.7098). This typical Sr signature is also reflected in other sites and is most likely related to an introduction of marine Sr in the form of salt as a food preservative (e.g. salt-rich preserved meat, fish and fish sauce). Paradoxically, this study highlights caution is needed when using 87Sr/86Sr for palaeomobility studies in populations with high salt consumption. |