Stable isotope evidence for sex- and status-based variations in diet and life history at medieval Trino Vercellese, Italy

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Laurie J Reitsema, Giuseppe Vercellotti

Abstract

The medieval period in Europe was a time of unprecedented social complexity that affected human diet. The diets of certain subgroups-for example, children, women, and the poor-are chronically underrepresented in historical sources from the medieval period. To better understand diet and the distribution of foods during the medieval period, we investigated stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of 30 individuals from Trino Vercellese, Northern Italy (8th-13th c.). Specifically, we examined diet differences between subgroups (males and females, and high- and low-status individuals), and diet change throughout the life course among these groups by comparing dentine and bone collagen. Our results show a diet based on terrestrial resources with input from C(4) plants, which could include proso and/or foxtail millet. Diets of low-status males differ from those of females (both status groups) and of high-status males. These differences develop in adulthood. Childhood diets are similar among the subgroups, but sex- and status-based differences appear in adulthood. We discuss the possibility of cultural buffering and dietary selectivity of females and high-status individuals.

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Citations

Jan 26, 2016·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Sabrina C Agarwal
Oct 22, 2015·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Christina StantisMichael P Richards
Jun 21, 2013·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Laurie J Reitsema
Nov 15, 2013·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Kim QuintelierBenjamin T Fuller
Oct 16, 2013·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Jelmer W Eerkens, Eric J Bartelink
Jun 4, 2014·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·P IacuminL Cecere
Oct 30, 2014·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Michelle M AlexanderAndrew R Millard
Apr 22, 2016·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Laurie J ReitsemaRosa Boano
Dec 18, 2013·Journal of Human Evolution·Stefano BenazziJean-Jacques Hublin
Feb 5, 2019·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Nicole M WeissSam D Stout
Jun 5, 2014·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Giuseppe VercellottiPaul W Sciulli
Dec 14, 2019·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Kirandeep DhaliwalRhiannon E Stevens
Apr 4, 2020·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Brittany S WalterJulia Beaumont
Feb 15, 2017·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Sammantha HolderJohn Schultz
Dec 10, 2019·Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences·Madeleine BleasdaleMichelle M Alexander
Nov 29, 2020·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Katherine M KinkopfAlfredo Coppa
Jun 11, 2021·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Alice TosoMichelle Alexander
Jul 3, 2021·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Marica BaldoniCristina Martínez-Labarga

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