title: Infant and child diet in Neolithic hunter-fisher-gatherers from Cis-Baikal, Siberia: intra-long bone stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios.
abstract: Analysis of stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes (δ(15) N and δ(13) C) from subadults and adults allows for assessment of age-related dietary changes, including breastfeeding and weaning, and adoption of an adult diet. In one of the first studies of hunter-fisher-gatherer subadults from Eurasia, three Neolithic (8,800-5,200 calBP) mortuary sites from southwestern Siberia are analyzed to evaluate hypothesized differences in weaning age between Early versus Late Neolithic groups. An intra-individual sampling methodology is used to compare bone formed at different ages. Collagen samples (n = 143) from three different growth areas of long bones-the proximal metaphysis, diaphysis, and distal metaphysis-were obtained from 49 subadults aged birth to 10 years. In infants (birth to 3 years, n = 23) contrasting the δ(15) N values of the metaphysis, which contains newer bone, to the δ(15) N values of the diaphysis, which contains older bone, permits a more precise determination of breastfeeding-weaning status. In Early and Late Neolithic groups breast milk was the major protein source until the age of 2-3 years. However, there are differences in the age of weaning completion and duration: Early Neolithic groups weaned their infants at a later age and over a shorter amount of time. Differences may have affected infant morbidity and mortality, and female fecundity and inter-birth intervals. Stable isotope values in older subadults (4-10 years, n = 26) do not differ from adults suggesting the absence of age-based food allocation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4. awaters@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Waters-Rist
authors.forename: Vladimir I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Bazaliiskii
authors.forename: Andrzej W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: M Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Katzenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D055699:Cemeteries; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D018483:Diaphyses; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D012800:Siberia; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014078:Tooth Eruption; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes