The Potential of Zn Isotope Ratios (δ66Zn) to Track Different Types of Plant Consumption

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

There is currently a growing body of evidence that Zn isotope ratios (δ66Zn) are a useful tool to assess the trophic level of past humans and animals from archaeological sites. However, the isotopic variability which has been previously measured in herbivorous species remains unexplained. In this contribution, we explore and attempt to explain the variability of Zn concentrations and isotope ratios in 1) food products and 2) teeth and bones of various species of herbivores from different geographical and archaeological contexts. Considering the bioavaibility of Zn in different food products, we will then discuss the potential of δ66Zn measurements to track specific types of plant consumption among herbivorous and omnivorous species.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37130.0