title: Lapita diet and subsistence strategies on Watom Island, Papua New Guinea: New stable isotope evidence from humans and animals.
abstract: Stable isotope ratios (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) were analyzed from the bone collagen of individuals (n = 8) from a Lapita burial ground (ca. 2800-2350 BP) on Watom Island, located off northeast New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago. The aim of this study was to assess the diet and subsistence strategies of humans that lived during the later Lapita period in Near Oceania. To aid in the interpretation of the human diet we analyzed the stable isotope ratios of faunal material from the site (n = 27). We also aim to assess methods of animal husbandry at the site over time from an analysis of the stable isotope ratios (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) of pig bones (n = 22) from different temporal periods (Lapita, post-Lapita, and late prehistoric). The protein diet of the humans consisted of marine organisms from the inshore environment and some deep-water species, most likely marine turtle, in addition to higher trophic level terrestrial foods, likely pig and native animals (e.g., fruit bat, Cuscus and bandicoot). Although the sample sizes were small, females (n = 4) displayed more variable δ(13)C and δ(15)N values compared with males (n = 4), which may be associated with the movement of adult females to the island. The stable isotope analysis of the pig bones indicated that there were few differences between the diets of the pigs from the Lapita and post-Lapita layers, suggesting that the method of pig husbandry was similar between these two periods and was likely relatively free-range.
authors: Department of Anatomy, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
authors: Rebecca L
authors: RL
authors: Kinaston
authors: Dimitri
authors: D
authors: Anson
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Petchey
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Walter
authors: Kasey
authors: K
authors: Robb
authors: Hallie
authors: H
authors: Buckley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000266:history*; D000818:Animals; D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry; D002048:Burial; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D004032:Diet / Q000266:history*; D005260:Female; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D013552:Swine; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D003094:Collagen
keywords: Lapita; Pacific islands; animal husbandry; prehistoric diet; stable isotope analysis