An Isotopic Study of Diet at Mtwapa, Kenya (15-18th c CE)
Author(s): Sewasew Haileselassie Assefa; Ryan M. Szymanski; Chapurukha Kusimba; Xinyi Liu
Year: 2024
Summary
This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
This project investigates the diet and foodways at Mtwapa, Kenya, on the East African coast during the 15th to 18th century. During this period, local East African populations negotiated Portuguese colonialism in the region. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses were conducted using bone collagen from 28 individuals interred at Mtwapa, Kenya. 13C and 15N values suggest individuals from Mtwapa consumed C4 diets with some reliance on marine resources. Individuals from later family tombs have higher 15N values, suggesting higher consumption of marine protein compared to individuals from earlier tombs. Individuals from earlier tombs also have more C3 isotopic values relative to later tombs. Isotopic results suggest reliance on local products and terrestrial domesticates with limited dietary differences between sexes.
Cite this Record
An Isotopic Study of Diet at Mtwapa, Kenya (15-18th c CE). Sewasew Haileselassie Assefa, Ryan M. Szymanski, Chapurukha Kusimba, Xinyi Liu. Presented at The 89th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2024 ( tDAR id: 499916)
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Keywords
Geographic Keywords
Africa: East Africa
Spatial Coverage
min long: 24.082; min lat: -26.746 ; max long: 56.777; max lat: 17.309 ;
Record Identifiers
Abstract Id(s): 39625.0