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'Nehlich O, Oelze VM, Jay M, Conrad M, Stäuble H, Teegen W-R, Richards MP, 2014: Sulphur isotope ratios of multi-period archaeological skeletal remains from central Germany: a dietary and mobility study. Anthropologie (Brno) 52, 1: 15-33'. |
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| Abstract | | Sulphur (?34S), carbon (?13C) and nitrogen (?15N) isotope data are presented for 120 humans and 33 animals from eight sites dating from the Neolithic to the Iron Age (Benzingerode, Westerhausen, Derenburg, Halberstadt, Karsdorf, Kölsa, Grebehna and Großstorkwitz) from central Germany. Sulphur isotope ratios from skeletal collagen reflect the dietary sulphur isotopic composition and therefore differ between environments and regions. Here it is shown that the majority of the analyzed individuals are consistent with a regional local origin; only three may be of non-local origin, namely one each from Benzingerode, Westerhausen and Derenburg. At Großstorkwitz the ?34S values correlate with the ?15N values and suggest the input of freshwater proteins. At the other sites the ?34S values, along with the ?13C and ?15N values, reflect a terrestrial based diet. No significant difference in ?34S values could be observed through time. Sulphur isotope signatures were not significantly different in animals with different ?15N values and animals are assumed to have lived locally. However, there may not be much regional variability in ?34S in this area, and the distribution of the archaeological ?34S values displays little variation across the investigated landscape. | | | | Keywords | | Sulphur isotopes - Neolithic - Iron Age - Bell Beaker - Diet - Migration | | |
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