Stable Isotopes and the Dynamics of Human-Animal Relationships

Summary

A central focus of stable isotope analysis in archaeology has always been to reconstruct human diet, with faunal samples examined primarily to better understand the human data. This paper will challenge this precept and highlight that important information about human-animal relationships can be obtained from isotope studies if the animals are viewed as individuals in their own right, as opposed to mere background data. Using several species as case-studies, this paper will examine how stable isotope date can inform various human-animal relationships from the past 2,500 years across northern Europe. These studies also highlight an enhanced potential for stable isotope data when used in combination with other sources of evidence.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Applications of Isotope Research in Zooarchaeology

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