Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis and dietary reconstruction through the life course at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Bibliographic Data

ID2405395
AuthorsJ Pearson (0000-0001-6503-1041, University of Liverpool, corresponding author), Jessica A Pearson (Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK), Scott D Haddow (Çatalhöyük Research Project, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA), Scott Haddow (0000-0002-3970-7447, Stanford University), Simon W Hillson (University College London), Simon Hillson (0000-0002-8557-0111, University College London), Christopher J Knüsel (0000-0002-2506-3652, UMR-5199, PACEA, University of Bordeaux, Pessac Cedex, France), Clark Spencer Larsen (0000-0002-6905-8417, The Ohio State University), Joshua W Sadvari (University Libraries, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA), Joshua Sadvari (0000-0003-3842-9905, The Ohio State University)
Year2015
Volume15
Issue2
Pages210-232
Publication date2015-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1469-6053 • E-ISSN: 1741-2951
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1469605315582983
OpenAlexW1832088979
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited55

Food has long served as a mechanism for identifying and reinforcing social structures, but while carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis has provided important identity-based evidence of past diets, the cyclical and stable/fluid nature of food consumption practices across the life course has been relatively neglected. In this paper, the large human assemblage at Çatalhöyük with all age groups present has enabled diet reconstruction of the rarely represented groups of older children and adolescents as well as for the young, middle and old adult age groups of both sexes. These data show how neonates reflect foods available to pregnant mothers, that infants were breastfed until around 18 months of age and weaned by three years of age, older children had a different diet compared to adolescents and young adults who, in turn, differed from middle and older adults. The absence of sex-related differences suggests changes in food consumed at Çatalhöyük accompanied the marking of transitions through the life course

Biology · Developmental psychology · Isotope analysis · Life course approach · Sociology · Young adult · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Demography · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Medicine · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Psychology · Ecology · Gerontology