Stable Isotope Analysis of Humans, Pine Nuts, and Acorns from the Central Sierra Nevada, CA

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In stable isotope analysis of human remains, δ13C enrichment is often interpreted as a marine or C4 contribution to the diet. There are instances when neither of these interpretations is supported by the archaeological evidence, such as in the central Sierra Nevada of California. Archaeological evidence for this region suggests that pine nuts and acorns provided the bulk of the plant-based diet, while deer constituted most of the meat. Here we present δ13C and δ15N values of bone collagen from ancient human inhabitants of this region. We compare δ13C values of archaeological pine nuts (Pinus sabiniana, Pinus lambertiana) and acorns (Quercus spp.) from within the same region to help elucidate δ13C differences among these two important dietary genera. Our research suggests that fundamental differences between these two genera of trees may account for δ13C enrichment observed in some individuals.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25192