Diet and in-migration in the Tlajinga District of Teotihuacan: New insights from stable isotope analysis and AMS radiocarbon dating.

Summary

Thirty years ago, the apartment compound known as Tlajinga 33 (33:S3W1) in the southern district of Teotihuacan was extensively excavated, resulting in the recovery of over 100 individuals. A paleodemographic study of these individuals indicated that chronic morbidity was a serious health issue among residents. Additionally, previous geochemical analysis from 25 of these individuals suggested that at least 29% of residents grew up outside of Teotihuacan. Due to chronic health issues, the movement of high numbers of in-migrants from outside the district into Tlajinga would have been important in order to maintain population numbers. In this new study of the Tlajinga district, both hypotheses concerning diet and in-migration are directly tested using stable isotopic analysis. Here, 25 additional individuals from Tlajinga 17 (17:S3E1), 18 (18:S3E1), and 33 are analyzed for carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes to better understand dietary variation between individuals. Stable oxygen (δ18O) isotopes and radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) are measured in human tooth enamel to estimate the extent of in-migration at Tlajinga. Additionally, AMS radiocarbon dates from bone collagen are used to build a more precise chronology. Results shed new insights into the demographic profile of the Tlajinga district.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16241