TY - JOUR
T1 - Integrating isotopes and documentary evidence
T2 - Dietary patterns in a late medieval and early modern mining community, Sweden
AU - Bäckström, Ylva
AU - Mispelaere, Jan
AU - Ingvarsson-Sundström, Anne
AU - Fjellström, Markus
AU - Britton, Kate
PY - 2018/12
Y1 - 2018/12
N2 - This study explores the relationship between dietary patterns and social structure in a pre-industrial mining community in Salberget, Sweden c. 1470 to 1600 A.D. using a combination of different research approaches and tools, including archaeology, osteology, bone chemistry and history.The correlation between demographic criteria (sex and age) and archaeological variables (burial type and burial location) shows that Salberget was a highly stratified community. Group diets were investigated through analyses of stable isotopes (carbon, δ13C, and nitrogen, δ15N) of bone collagen from a sub-sample of individuals buried at the site (n = 67), interpreted alongside data from human dental lesions and deficiencies, animal bone waste and information on eating habits extracted from the extensive historical documents regardingmining activities at Salberget. These integrated analyses provide a clear association between social status and diet and confirm that social status, and to a lesser extent sex, gender and age, likely governed food choice and opportunity in this diverse community.
AB - This study explores the relationship between dietary patterns and social structure in a pre-industrial mining community in Salberget, Sweden c. 1470 to 1600 A.D. using a combination of different research approaches and tools, including archaeology, osteology, bone chemistry and history.The correlation between demographic criteria (sex and age) and archaeological variables (burial type and burial location) shows that Salberget was a highly stratified community. Group diets were investigated through analyses of stable isotopes (carbon, δ13C, and nitrogen, δ15N) of bone collagen from a sub-sample of individuals buried at the site (n = 67), interpreted alongside data from human dental lesions and deficiencies, animal bone waste and information on eating habits extracted from the extensive historical documents regardingmining activities at Salberget. These integrated analyses provide a clear association between social status and diet and confirm that social status, and to a lesser extent sex, gender and age, likely governed food choice and opportunity in this diverse community.
KW - Late medieval/early modern
KW - Preindustrial
KW - Identities
KW - Diet
KW - Documentary sources
KW - Bioarchaeology
KW - Isotopes
KW - Zooarchaeology
KW - Dental palaeopathology
U2 - 10.1007/s12520-017-0518-1
DO - 10.1007/s12520-017-0518-1
M3 - Article
SN - 1866-9557
VL - 10
SP - 2075
EP - 2094
JO - Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
JF - Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
IS - 8
ER -