Socioeconomic differences in diet

An isotopic examination of post‐Medieval Chichester, West Sussex

Bibliographic Data

ID8317322
AuthorsKirandeep Dhaliwal (UCL Institute of Archaeology London UK), Kirandeep Kaur Dhaliwal (Museum of London Archaeology), Carolyn Rando (UCL Institute of Archaeology London UK), Hazel Reade (0000-0002-1152-8033, UCL Institute of Archaeology London UK), Anne‐Lise Jourdan (0000-0001-6173-193X, UCL Department of Earth Sciences London UK), R E Stevens (0000-0002-6140-4549, UCL Institute of Archaeology London UK, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume171
Issue4
Pages584-597
Publication date2020-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.23984
PMID31833572
OpenAlexW2994829569
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited58

OBJECTIVES: Historical evidence suggests that social hierarchy pervaded all aspects of society in post-Medieval England. This study uses stable isotope analysis to explore the extent to which socioeconomic status and sex affected the dietary habits of the inhabitants of post-Medieval Chichester. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were measured on 40 human burials from the post-Medieval site of St. Michael's Litten (Chichester, West Sussex, England). Samples were selected from three burial types that denoted differing socioeconomic status with roughly equal numbers of males and females: tomb burials (n = 13) for high-status; single coffin burials (n = 14) for middle-status; and shroud burials (n = 13) for low-status individuals. RESULTS: The data showed a largely terrestrial diet with the possibility of some inclusion of marine resources. The isotope results indicate significant variation in the consumption of terrestrial meat (and marine protein) between high-status tomb burials and coffin and shroud burials, showing that socioeconomic status likely played a role in daily dietary patterns. However, the isotope data suggest sex did not influence an individual's diet. DISCUSSION: These results mirror trends established in status-based studies from elsewhere in post-Medieval England. However, notably absent from the data is evidence for significant marine resource consumption, which is a well-established dietary trend of the late Medieval and early post-Medieval periods. These results indicate post-Medieval Chichester was a socially stratified society with clear implications that the diet of higher status individuals differed significantly from lower status

Archaeology · Geography · Population · Social science · Social status · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Demography · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies