title: Stable C &N isotopes in 2100 Year-B.P. human bone collagen indicate rare dietary dominance of C4 plants in NE-Italy.
abstract: C4plants (e.g. maize, millet), part of our current diet, are only endemic of reduced areas in South-Europe due to their need of warm climates. Since the first vestiges of agriculture in Europe remains of C4plants were recorded but their overall proportion in the human diet remains unknown. Therefore, isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) composition of bone collagen from the skeletal remains (human and animals) of a Celtic population, Cenomani Gauls, from Verona (3rdto 1stcentury BC) in the NE Italy provide a new perspective on this matter. The δ13C collagen values of 90 human skeletal individuals range between -20.2‰ and -9.7‰ (V-PDB) with a mean value of -15.3‰. As present day C4plants have δ13C values around -11‰, which is equivalent to -9.5‰ for samples of preindustrial age, the less negative δ13C values in these individuals indicate a diet dominated by C4plants. This palaeodietary study indicates that some European populations predominantly consumed cultivated C4plants 2100 year B.P. This is supported by the paleobotanical records and ancient Roman sources (e.g. Pliny the Elder), which indicate that millet was a staple food in South-Europe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Medicine Faculty, University of Granada (UGR), Av. de la Investigación 11, 18016, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Zita
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Laffranchi
authors.affiliation: Biogeochemical of Stable Isotopes Laboratory, Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences (IACT-CSIC-UGR), Av. de las Palmeras 4, 18100, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio Delgado
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Huertas
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Medicine Faculty, University of Granada (UGR), Av. de la Investigación 11, 18016, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Sylvia A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jiménez Brobeil
authors.affiliation: Biogeochemical of Stable Isotopes Laboratory, Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences (IACT-CSIC-UGR), Av. de las Palmeras 4, 18100, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Arsenio Granados
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Territorial Sciences, Area of Prehistory, University of Cordoba, Plaza del Cardenal Salazar 3, 14071, Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Riquelme Cantal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture / Q000266:history*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000378:metabolism; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D002980:Climate; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D004032:Diet / Q000266:history*; D005260:Female; D005580:Fossils; D060434:Herbivory; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D000066928:Millets / Q000737:chemistry; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D055110:Radiometric Dating; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D014867:Water; D003094:Collagen