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An Analysis of the Last 1000 Years Human Diet on Tutuila (American Samoa) Using Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Data

Bibliographic Data

ID2655536
AuthorsF Valentin (0000-0002-0575-7681, Préhistoire et Technologie, corresponding author), Estelle Herrscher (0000-0001-9339-4325, Laboratoire Méditerranéen de Préhistoire Europe Afrique), Fiona Petchey (0000-0002-3308-9983), David J Addison, David Addison (0000-0003-2469-7933, American Samoa Community College)
Year2011
Volume76
Issue3
Pages473-486
Publication date2011-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Antiquity (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-7316 • E-ISSN: 2325-5064
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.7183/0002-7316.76.3.473
OpenAlexW2324930792
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited58

This paper reports the first set of isotopic data relating to human diet from the Samoan Archipelago. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data measured on bone collagen were used to assess dietary patterns of prehistoric communities on Tutuila Island, American Samoa. We examined 14 human bones from three sites dated to three distinct periods: ~1,000 years ago (N = 5); -500 years ago (N = 8) and -150 years ago (N = 1). The isotopie data suggest that the human diet on Tutuila over the last 1,000 years was composed mainly of terrestrial resources with some consumption of coastal reef products. These data suggest a possible dietary change over time, with a higher dependence on marine resources in the earlier period shifting to a more terrestrial diet in the later period. Several possibilities for this dietary shift are suggested including: change in community specialization; marine resource depression; disintensification of marine procurement; intensification of horticultural production; and cultural or social changes in resource allocation

American samoa · Archaeology · Archipelago · Biology · Geography · Human bone · Isotope analysis · Isotopes of nitrogen · Marine conservation · Period (music) · Prehistory · Resource (disambiguation) · Resource consumption · Stable isotope ratio · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Ecology · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies

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Unique citing works11
Citations per year0,73
Citation span2011 - 2020 (10)
Citation velocityhistorical
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 11
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