This study uses isotope and microbotanical data from the analysis of teeth and dental calculus to... more This study uses isotope and microbotanical data from the analysis of teeth and dental calculus to investigate camelid diet and foddering practices at Quilcapampa (AD 835–900). By providing taxonomically specific evidence of foods consumed, botanical data from dental calculus complement the more general impressions of photosynthetic pathways obtained through isotopic analysis. Results suggest that the camelid diet incorporated maize (Zea mays), algarrobo (Prosopis sp.), potato chuño (Solanum sp.), and other resources. The life-history profile of one camelid (Individual 3) reveals dietary change from mainly C3 plants to more C4 plant contributions as the animal aged. This pattern is supported by carbonate isotope results indicating that this individual spent its youth in the mid-valley ecozone before becoming more mobile later in life. As this life-history example shows, isotopic and microbotanical analyses are complementary approaches, clarifying a pattern of seasonal transhumance th...
En el valle de Ambato, Catamarca, entre los siglos VI y XI DC se sucedió un proceso de complejiza... more En el valle de Ambato, Catamarca, entre los siglos VI y XI DC se sucedió un proceso de complejización y diferenciación social que llevó al surgimiento de una sociedad no igualitaria, caracterizada por el mantenimiento de desigualdades en lo económico y político, especialización artesanal e intensificación en la explotación de los recursos. En este contexto, los camélidos tuvieron un rol relevante desde distintos aspectos económicos, sociales e ideológicos, lo cual llevó al surgimiento de una serie de interrogantes relativos a su procedencia y esferas de circulación. Precisamente, en este trabajo nos proponemos profundizar el estudio sobre las modalidades de obtención y manejo de estos recursos, a través de una nueva vía de análisis como es la utilización de isótopos radiogénicos de estroncio. Los resultados obtenidos nos permitieron observar que la mayor parte de los especímenes analizados presentan valores que se encuentran dentro de los correspondientes a los valores de isótopos d...
This article presents outcomes from a Workshop entitled “Bioarchaeology: Taking Stock and Moving ... more This article presents outcomes from a Workshop entitled “Bioarchaeology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward,” which was held at Arizona State University (ASU) on March 6–8, 2020. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (ASU), and the Center for Bioarchaeological Research (CBR, ASU), the Workshop's overall goal was to explore reasons why research proposals submitted by bioarchaeologists, both graduate students and established scholars, fared disproportionately poorly within recent NSF Anthropology Program competitions and to offer advice for increasing success. Therefore, this Workshop comprised 43 international scholars and four advanced graduate students with a history of successful grant acquisition, primarily from the United States. Ultimately, we focused on two related aims: (1) best practices for improving research designs and training and (2) evaluating topics of contemporary significance that reverberate through histor...
In this paper we present data from multi-isotopic analyses (87 Sr/ 86 Sr, δ 18 O, δ 13 C) of huma... more In this paper we present data from multi-isotopic analyses (87 Sr/ 86 Sr, δ 18 O, δ 13 C) of human individuals buried in the Neolithic communities of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. The sites researched were Bòbila Madurell, Can Gambús and Puig d'en Roca, all dated to the late 5th and early 4th millennia cal BC. The main objective was to explore chronological movement and the extent to which these communities moved and interacted with their Neolithic counterparts. The results show that the mobility of these communities was limited, as only 8.3% of the individuals exhibited non-local values. In addition, the chronological analysis confirmed their same horizon and temporal distribution. This means that they used resources and raw materials found in the immediate vicinity. It also implies that they had a certain degree of social organization and were already engaged in the trading of raw materials, some of which came from Central Europe and the Mediterranean islands.
En el valle de Ambato, Catamarca, entre los siglos VI y XI DC se sucedio un proceso de complejiza... more En el valle de Ambato, Catamarca, entre los siglos VI y XI DC se sucedio un proceso de complejizacion y diferenciacion social que llevo al surgimiento de una sociedad no igualitaria, caracterizada por el mantenimiento de desigualdades en lo economico y politico, especializacion artesanal e intensificacion en la explotacion de los recursos. En este contexto, los camelidos tuvieron un rol relevante desde distintos aspectos economicos, sociales e ideologicos, lo cual llevo al surgimiento de una serie de interrogantes relativos a su procedencia y esferas de circulacion. Precisamente, en este trabajo nos proponemos profundizar el estudio sobre las modalidades de obtencion y manejo de estos recursos, a traves de una nueva via de analisis como es la utilizacion de isotopos radiogenicos de estroncio. Los resultados obtenidos nos permitieron observar que la mayor parte de los especimenes analizados presentan valores que se encuentran dentro de los correspondientes a los valores de isotopos d...
The analysis of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr has become a robust tool for identifying non-local individuals at ar... more The analysis of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr has become a robust tool for identifying non-local individuals at archeological sites. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in human bioapatite reflects the geological signature of food and water consumed during tissue development. Modeling relationships between 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in human environments, food webs, and archeological human tissues is critical for moving from identifying non-locals to determining their likely provenience. In the Andes, obstacles to sample geolocation include overlapping 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of distant geographies and a poor understanding of mixed strontium sources in food and drink. Here, water is investigated as a proxy for bioavailable strontium in archeological human skeletal and dental tissues. This study develops a water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isoscape from 262 samples (220 new and 42 published samples), testing the model with published archeological human skeletal 87 Sr/ 86 Sr trimmed of probable non-locals. Water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and prediction error between the predicted and measured 87 Sr/ 86 Sr for the archeological test set are compared by elevation, underlying geology, and watershed size. Across the Peruvian Andes, water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ranges from 0.7049 to 0.7227 (M = 0.7081, SD = 0.0027). Water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr is higher in the highlands, in areas overlying older bedrock, and in larger watersheds, characteristics which are geographically correlated. Spatial outliers identified are from canals, wells, and one stream, suggesting those sources could show non-representative 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. The best-fit water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isoscape achieves prediction errors for archeological samples ranging from 0.0017-0.0031 (M = 0.0012, n = 493). The water isoscape explains only 7.0% of the variation in archeological skeletal 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (R 2 = 0.07), but 90.0% of archeological skeleton 87 Sr/ 86 Sr fall within the site isoscape prediction ± site prediction standard error. Due to lower sampling density and higher geological variability in the highlands, the water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isoscape is more useful for ruling out geographic origins for lowland
Radiogenic strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) have long been used in analyses of paleomobility wit... more Radiogenic strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) have long been used in analyses of paleomobility within Mesoamerica. While considerable effort has been expended developing 87 Sr/ 86 Sr baseline values across the Maya region, work in central Mexico is primarily focused on the Classic period urban center of Teotihuacan. This study adds to this important dataset by presenting bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values across central Mexico focusing on the Basin of Mexico. This study therefore serves to expand the utility of strontium isotopes across a wider geographic region. A total of 63 plant and water samples were collected from 13 central Mexican sites and analyzed for 87 Sr/ 86 Sr on a Thermo-Finnigan Neptune multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). These data were analyzed alongside 16 published 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values from two additional sites within the region of interest. A five-cluster k-means model was then generated to determine which regions of the Basin of Mexico and greater central Mexico can and cannot be distinguished isotopically using 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values. Although the two clusters falling within the Basin of Mexico overlap in their local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ranges, many locations within the Basin are distinguishable using 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values at the site-level. This study contributes to paleomobility studies within central Mexico by expanding knowledge of strontium isotope variability within the region, ultimately allowing researchers to detect intra-regional residential mobility and gain a greater understanding of the sociopolitical interactions between the Basin of Mexico and supporting outlying regions of central Mexico.
Objectives: Written accounts, as well as a previous craniometric study, indicate that migrations ... more Objectives: Written accounts, as well as a previous craniometric study, indicate that migrations of non-Europeans and conversions of Europeans to Islam define Ottoman communities in Early Modern Europe. What is less clear are the roles of migration and admixture in generating intra-communal variation. This study combines craniometric with strontium isotope data to compare the cranial affinities of locally born and immigrant individuals. We predict that locally born individuals are more likely than non-locals to show evidence of admixture. Materials and Methods: Radiogenic strontium isotope data for 21 Ottomans were compared against archaeological faunal values. Sixteen individuals with intact crania were also measured and compared against two comparative source populations from Anatolia and Europe. Discriminant function analysis assigned unclassified Ottoans to either comparative group based on typicality probabilities, with potential admixture established via intermediate morphology between the two source populations. Results: Strontium isotope values revealed relatively high proportions of non-locals, consistent with high mobility documented historically. The sexes differed, with more males classifying as "typically Anatolian" than females. Locals and non-locals also had different cranial affinity patterns, with most classifying either as "typically Anatolian" or "typically European." Contrary to expectation, none of the locals were identified as intermediate, suggesting admixture rates were relatively low. Conclusions: Consistent with historical records, the results revealed high levels of extra-regional migration, with most individuals identifiable as either typically Anatolian or European. Moreover, locals and non-locals differed craniometrically, with no signs of admixture between Anatolian migrants and European converts in locals. This suggests intra-communal divisions were maintained.
Excavations at Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona (northern Spain) revealed a large Islamic necropoli... more Excavations at Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona (northern Spain) revealed a large Islamic necropolis dating to the eighth century A.D., including the skeleton of an adult female showing intentional dental modification (PLA-159). While the practice of dental decoration was virtually absent in Medieval Spain, it is common in Africa and suggests that this individual was born in Africa and brought to Spain later in life. The historically documented occupation of Pamplona by Muslim groups from northern Africa between ca. 715 and 799 A.D. also supports an African origin. As an additional line of evidence, we investigated the geographic origins of two individuals from the cemetery, including PLA-159, via radiogenic strontium and stable oxygen isotope analyses on enamel hydroxyapatite. The human isotopic signatures were measured following established methodologies and compared to the local geochemical composition and modern precipitation values. The data analysis showed a non-local isotopic s...
In this study, we employ multiple lines of evidence to elucidate the use of mortuary ritual by th... more In this study, we employ multiple lines of evidence to elucidate the use of mortuary ritual by the ruling elite at the ancient Maya site of Cahal Pech, Belize, during the Early Classic and early Late Classic periods (AD 250–630). The interments of multiple individuals in Burial 7 of Structure B1, the central structure of an Eastern Triadic Assemblage or “E-group” style architectural complex, were in a manner not consistent with the greater Belize River Valley, the only multiple individual human burial yet encountered at Cahal Pech. The sequential interments contained a suggestive quantity of high-quality artifacts, further setting them apart from their contemporaries. Among these artifacts were a set of bone rings and a hairpin inscribed with hieroglyphs, some of the few inscriptions ever found at Cahal Pech. We analyzed regional mortuary patterns, radiogenic strontium values, and radiocarbon data to test hypotheses about who these individuals were in life, why they were treated dif...
Stable isotope signatures of bioelements are utilized for geolocation of unknown human remains. H... more Stable isotope signatures of bioelements are utilized for geolocation of unknown human remains. Hair in particular can generate a high-temporal resolution record of recent travel history, providing critical investigative leads. However, systematic studies of law enforcement packaging materials and evidence packaging protocols are needed, including the full range of sample types and conditions anticipated in casework. Arm 1 of this study examined the impact of freezing storage on hair samples using the FBI's recommended storage materials (paper, plastic) and Mesa Police Department's evidence packaging guidelines for varying periods of freezing storage (three weeks, five months). Hair studied was from individuals of different ancestry, including cosmetic treatments (relaxer, dyes), and exposure to decomposition fluids outdoors for up to 10 months. Arm 2 evaluated longer-term storage, comparing hair stored in a desiccator to hair frozen at-20°C for up to four years. Samples and certified standards were anonymized and randomized during sample preparation. To prevent cognitive bias from influencing interpretations, unblinding of samples only occurred after data correction and reduction were complete. Both the experimental and longer-term storage studies demonstrated 13 C, 15 N, and 18 O values had no significant offsets between frozen samples and those stored at room temperature. However, there were small systematic offsets (+2 to +3 ‰) in 2 H values, with frozen samples being enriched in 2 H compared to controls. In a minority of samples frozen for > six months, 2 H offsets of > 9 ‰ were observed, an amount that could impact the interpretation of an individual's geographic travel history.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jul 2, 2018
Recent theoretical innovations in cultural evolutionary theory emphasize the role of cooperative ... more Recent theoretical innovations in cultural evolutionary theory emphasize the role of cooperative social organizations that unite diverse groups as a key step in the evolution of social complexity. A principal mechanism identified by this theory is feasting, a strategy that reinforces norms of cooperation. Feasts occur throughout the premodern world, and the intensification of feasting is empirically correlated to increased social complexity. A critical factor in assessing the evolutionary significance of this practice is the scale and range of the feast from that focused on a single community to ones that draw from a large region or catchment zone. This work addresses the degree to which hosts draw on a local area vs. a regional one in initial prehistoric feasting. We report on excavations at a locus of intensive feasting-a ceremonial sunken court-in a fifth- to third-century BCE Paracas site on the south coast of Peru. We selected 39 organic objects from the court placed as offerin...
American journal of physical anthropology, Jan 26, 2017
Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis is used to reconstruct diet among a pre-Hispanic popu... more Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis is used to reconstruct diet among a pre-Hispanic population from the Peruvian Andes to evaluate whether local foodways changed with Wari imperial influence in the region. This study also compares local diet to other Wari-era sites. Samples derive from the site of Beringa in Peru and correspond primarily to pre-Wari (200-600 CE) and Wari (600-1,000 CE). We examine stable carbon isotopes from enamel (n = 29) and bone apatite (n = 22), and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes from bone collagen (n = 29), and we present stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data on archaeological and modern fauna (n = 37) and plants (n = 19) from the region. There were no significant differences in either δ(13) C or δ(15) N from the pre-Wari to Wari era, indicating that those measurable aspects of diet did not change with Wari influence. There were no sex-based differences among juveniles (as inferred from δ(13) C from enamel carbonates) nor among adults (based on...
This study uses isotope and microbotanical data from the analysis of teeth and dental calculus to... more This study uses isotope and microbotanical data from the analysis of teeth and dental calculus to investigate camelid diet and foddering practices at Quilcapampa (AD 835–900). By providing taxonomically specific evidence of foods consumed, botanical data from dental calculus complement the more general impressions of photosynthetic pathways obtained through isotopic analysis. Results suggest that the camelid diet incorporated maize (Zea mays), algarrobo (Prosopis sp.), potato chuño (Solanum sp.), and other resources. The life-history profile of one camelid (Individual 3) reveals dietary change from mainly C3 plants to more C4 plant contributions as the animal aged. This pattern is supported by carbonate isotope results indicating that this individual spent its youth in the mid-valley ecozone before becoming more mobile later in life. As this life-history example shows, isotopic and microbotanical analyses are complementary approaches, clarifying a pattern of seasonal transhumance th...
En el valle de Ambato, Catamarca, entre los siglos VI y XI DC se sucedió un proceso de complejiza... more En el valle de Ambato, Catamarca, entre los siglos VI y XI DC se sucedió un proceso de complejización y diferenciación social que llevó al surgimiento de una sociedad no igualitaria, caracterizada por el mantenimiento de desigualdades en lo económico y político, especialización artesanal e intensificación en la explotación de los recursos. En este contexto, los camélidos tuvieron un rol relevante desde distintos aspectos económicos, sociales e ideológicos, lo cual llevó al surgimiento de una serie de interrogantes relativos a su procedencia y esferas de circulación. Precisamente, en este trabajo nos proponemos profundizar el estudio sobre las modalidades de obtención y manejo de estos recursos, a través de una nueva vía de análisis como es la utilización de isótopos radiogénicos de estroncio. Los resultados obtenidos nos permitieron observar que la mayor parte de los especímenes analizados presentan valores que se encuentran dentro de los correspondientes a los valores de isótopos d...
This article presents outcomes from a Workshop entitled “Bioarchaeology: Taking Stock and Moving ... more This article presents outcomes from a Workshop entitled “Bioarchaeology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward,” which was held at Arizona State University (ASU) on March 6–8, 2020. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (ASU), and the Center for Bioarchaeological Research (CBR, ASU), the Workshop's overall goal was to explore reasons why research proposals submitted by bioarchaeologists, both graduate students and established scholars, fared disproportionately poorly within recent NSF Anthropology Program competitions and to offer advice for increasing success. Therefore, this Workshop comprised 43 international scholars and four advanced graduate students with a history of successful grant acquisition, primarily from the United States. Ultimately, we focused on two related aims: (1) best practices for improving research designs and training and (2) evaluating topics of contemporary significance that reverberate through histor...
In this paper we present data from multi-isotopic analyses (87 Sr/ 86 Sr, δ 18 O, δ 13 C) of huma... more In this paper we present data from multi-isotopic analyses (87 Sr/ 86 Sr, δ 18 O, δ 13 C) of human individuals buried in the Neolithic communities of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. The sites researched were Bòbila Madurell, Can Gambús and Puig d'en Roca, all dated to the late 5th and early 4th millennia cal BC. The main objective was to explore chronological movement and the extent to which these communities moved and interacted with their Neolithic counterparts. The results show that the mobility of these communities was limited, as only 8.3% of the individuals exhibited non-local values. In addition, the chronological analysis confirmed their same horizon and temporal distribution. This means that they used resources and raw materials found in the immediate vicinity. It also implies that they had a certain degree of social organization and were already engaged in the trading of raw materials, some of which came from Central Europe and the Mediterranean islands.
En el valle de Ambato, Catamarca, entre los siglos VI y XI DC se sucedio un proceso de complejiza... more En el valle de Ambato, Catamarca, entre los siglos VI y XI DC se sucedio un proceso de complejizacion y diferenciacion social que llevo al surgimiento de una sociedad no igualitaria, caracterizada por el mantenimiento de desigualdades en lo economico y politico, especializacion artesanal e intensificacion en la explotacion de los recursos. En este contexto, los camelidos tuvieron un rol relevante desde distintos aspectos economicos, sociales e ideologicos, lo cual llevo al surgimiento de una serie de interrogantes relativos a su procedencia y esferas de circulacion. Precisamente, en este trabajo nos proponemos profundizar el estudio sobre las modalidades de obtencion y manejo de estos recursos, a traves de una nueva via de analisis como es la utilizacion de isotopos radiogenicos de estroncio. Los resultados obtenidos nos permitieron observar que la mayor parte de los especimenes analizados presentan valores que se encuentran dentro de los correspondientes a los valores de isotopos d...
The analysis of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr has become a robust tool for identifying non-local individuals at ar... more The analysis of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr has become a robust tool for identifying non-local individuals at archeological sites. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in human bioapatite reflects the geological signature of food and water consumed during tissue development. Modeling relationships between 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in human environments, food webs, and archeological human tissues is critical for moving from identifying non-locals to determining their likely provenience. In the Andes, obstacles to sample geolocation include overlapping 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of distant geographies and a poor understanding of mixed strontium sources in food and drink. Here, water is investigated as a proxy for bioavailable strontium in archeological human skeletal and dental tissues. This study develops a water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isoscape from 262 samples (220 new and 42 published samples), testing the model with published archeological human skeletal 87 Sr/ 86 Sr trimmed of probable non-locals. Water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and prediction error between the predicted and measured 87 Sr/ 86 Sr for the archeological test set are compared by elevation, underlying geology, and watershed size. Across the Peruvian Andes, water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ranges from 0.7049 to 0.7227 (M = 0.7081, SD = 0.0027). Water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr is higher in the highlands, in areas overlying older bedrock, and in larger watersheds, characteristics which are geographically correlated. Spatial outliers identified are from canals, wells, and one stream, suggesting those sources could show non-representative 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. The best-fit water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isoscape achieves prediction errors for archeological samples ranging from 0.0017-0.0031 (M = 0.0012, n = 493). The water isoscape explains only 7.0% of the variation in archeological skeletal 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (R 2 = 0.07), but 90.0% of archeological skeleton 87 Sr/ 86 Sr fall within the site isoscape prediction ± site prediction standard error. Due to lower sampling density and higher geological variability in the highlands, the water 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isoscape is more useful for ruling out geographic origins for lowland
Radiogenic strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) have long been used in analyses of paleomobility wit... more Radiogenic strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) have long been used in analyses of paleomobility within Mesoamerica. While considerable effort has been expended developing 87 Sr/ 86 Sr baseline values across the Maya region, work in central Mexico is primarily focused on the Classic period urban center of Teotihuacan. This study adds to this important dataset by presenting bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values across central Mexico focusing on the Basin of Mexico. This study therefore serves to expand the utility of strontium isotopes across a wider geographic region. A total of 63 plant and water samples were collected from 13 central Mexican sites and analyzed for 87 Sr/ 86 Sr on a Thermo-Finnigan Neptune multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS). These data were analyzed alongside 16 published 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values from two additional sites within the region of interest. A five-cluster k-means model was then generated to determine which regions of the Basin of Mexico and greater central Mexico can and cannot be distinguished isotopically using 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values. Although the two clusters falling within the Basin of Mexico overlap in their local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ranges, many locations within the Basin are distinguishable using 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values at the site-level. This study contributes to paleomobility studies within central Mexico by expanding knowledge of strontium isotope variability within the region, ultimately allowing researchers to detect intra-regional residential mobility and gain a greater understanding of the sociopolitical interactions between the Basin of Mexico and supporting outlying regions of central Mexico.
Objectives: Written accounts, as well as a previous craniometric study, indicate that migrations ... more Objectives: Written accounts, as well as a previous craniometric study, indicate that migrations of non-Europeans and conversions of Europeans to Islam define Ottoman communities in Early Modern Europe. What is less clear are the roles of migration and admixture in generating intra-communal variation. This study combines craniometric with strontium isotope data to compare the cranial affinities of locally born and immigrant individuals. We predict that locally born individuals are more likely than non-locals to show evidence of admixture. Materials and Methods: Radiogenic strontium isotope data for 21 Ottomans were compared against archaeological faunal values. Sixteen individuals with intact crania were also measured and compared against two comparative source populations from Anatolia and Europe. Discriminant function analysis assigned unclassified Ottoans to either comparative group based on typicality probabilities, with potential admixture established via intermediate morphology between the two source populations. Results: Strontium isotope values revealed relatively high proportions of non-locals, consistent with high mobility documented historically. The sexes differed, with more males classifying as "typically Anatolian" than females. Locals and non-locals also had different cranial affinity patterns, with most classifying either as "typically Anatolian" or "typically European." Contrary to expectation, none of the locals were identified as intermediate, suggesting admixture rates were relatively low. Conclusions: Consistent with historical records, the results revealed high levels of extra-regional migration, with most individuals identifiable as either typically Anatolian or European. Moreover, locals and non-locals differed craniometrically, with no signs of admixture between Anatolian migrants and European converts in locals. This suggests intra-communal divisions were maintained.
Excavations at Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona (northern Spain) revealed a large Islamic necropoli... more Excavations at Plaza del Castillo in Pamplona (northern Spain) revealed a large Islamic necropolis dating to the eighth century A.D., including the skeleton of an adult female showing intentional dental modification (PLA-159). While the practice of dental decoration was virtually absent in Medieval Spain, it is common in Africa and suggests that this individual was born in Africa and brought to Spain later in life. The historically documented occupation of Pamplona by Muslim groups from northern Africa between ca. 715 and 799 A.D. also supports an African origin. As an additional line of evidence, we investigated the geographic origins of two individuals from the cemetery, including PLA-159, via radiogenic strontium and stable oxygen isotope analyses on enamel hydroxyapatite. The human isotopic signatures were measured following established methodologies and compared to the local geochemical composition and modern precipitation values. The data analysis showed a non-local isotopic s...
In this study, we employ multiple lines of evidence to elucidate the use of mortuary ritual by th... more In this study, we employ multiple lines of evidence to elucidate the use of mortuary ritual by the ruling elite at the ancient Maya site of Cahal Pech, Belize, during the Early Classic and early Late Classic periods (AD 250–630). The interments of multiple individuals in Burial 7 of Structure B1, the central structure of an Eastern Triadic Assemblage or “E-group” style architectural complex, were in a manner not consistent with the greater Belize River Valley, the only multiple individual human burial yet encountered at Cahal Pech. The sequential interments contained a suggestive quantity of high-quality artifacts, further setting them apart from their contemporaries. Among these artifacts were a set of bone rings and a hairpin inscribed with hieroglyphs, some of the few inscriptions ever found at Cahal Pech. We analyzed regional mortuary patterns, radiogenic strontium values, and radiocarbon data to test hypotheses about who these individuals were in life, why they were treated dif...
Stable isotope signatures of bioelements are utilized for geolocation of unknown human remains. H... more Stable isotope signatures of bioelements are utilized for geolocation of unknown human remains. Hair in particular can generate a high-temporal resolution record of recent travel history, providing critical investigative leads. However, systematic studies of law enforcement packaging materials and evidence packaging protocols are needed, including the full range of sample types and conditions anticipated in casework. Arm 1 of this study examined the impact of freezing storage on hair samples using the FBI's recommended storage materials (paper, plastic) and Mesa Police Department's evidence packaging guidelines for varying periods of freezing storage (three weeks, five months). Hair studied was from individuals of different ancestry, including cosmetic treatments (relaxer, dyes), and exposure to decomposition fluids outdoors for up to 10 months. Arm 2 evaluated longer-term storage, comparing hair stored in a desiccator to hair frozen at-20°C for up to four years. Samples and certified standards were anonymized and randomized during sample preparation. To prevent cognitive bias from influencing interpretations, unblinding of samples only occurred after data correction and reduction were complete. Both the experimental and longer-term storage studies demonstrated 13 C, 15 N, and 18 O values had no significant offsets between frozen samples and those stored at room temperature. However, there were small systematic offsets (+2 to +3 ‰) in 2 H values, with frozen samples being enriched in 2 H compared to controls. In a minority of samples frozen for > six months, 2 H offsets of > 9 ‰ were observed, an amount that could impact the interpretation of an individual's geographic travel history.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jul 2, 2018
Recent theoretical innovations in cultural evolutionary theory emphasize the role of cooperative ... more Recent theoretical innovations in cultural evolutionary theory emphasize the role of cooperative social organizations that unite diverse groups as a key step in the evolution of social complexity. A principal mechanism identified by this theory is feasting, a strategy that reinforces norms of cooperation. Feasts occur throughout the premodern world, and the intensification of feasting is empirically correlated to increased social complexity. A critical factor in assessing the evolutionary significance of this practice is the scale and range of the feast from that focused on a single community to ones that draw from a large region or catchment zone. This work addresses the degree to which hosts draw on a local area vs. a regional one in initial prehistoric feasting. We report on excavations at a locus of intensive feasting-a ceremonial sunken court-in a fifth- to third-century BCE Paracas site on the south coast of Peru. We selected 39 organic objects from the court placed as offerin...
American journal of physical anthropology, Jan 26, 2017
Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis is used to reconstruct diet among a pre-Hispanic popu... more Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis is used to reconstruct diet among a pre-Hispanic population from the Peruvian Andes to evaluate whether local foodways changed with Wari imperial influence in the region. This study also compares local diet to other Wari-era sites. Samples derive from the site of Beringa in Peru and correspond primarily to pre-Wari (200-600 CE) and Wari (600-1,000 CE). We examine stable carbon isotopes from enamel (n = 29) and bone apatite (n = 22), and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes from bone collagen (n = 29), and we present stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data on archaeological and modern fauna (n = 37) and plants (n = 19) from the region. There were no significant differences in either δ(13) C or δ(15) N from the pre-Wari to Wari era, indicating that those measurable aspects of diet did not change with Wari influence. There were no sex-based differences among juveniles (as inferred from δ(13) C from enamel carbonates) nor among adults (based on...
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