title: Reconstructing diet in Napoleon's Grand Army using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis.
abstract: Historical evidence has provided information regarding disease and mortality in Napoleon Bonaparte's Grand Army, but dietary information beyond individual soldier accounts remains scarce. The purpose of this research is to reconstruct the diets of Napoleon's multiethnic army who were associated with the Russian Campaign of 1812.
  
  
  
  We conducted stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio analysis on femoral bone collagen of 78 individuals recovered from a salvage excavation at the mass gravesite of Šiaurės miestelis in Vilnius, Lithuania. These individuals were later discovered to be Napoleonic soldiers and camp followers who participated in the 1812 Russian Campaign.
  
  
  
  Stable carbon isotope ratios range from -19.2‰ to -11.8‰, with a mean of -17.8‰ ± 1.5‰ (1 σ). Stable nitrogen isotope ratios range from 7.1‰ to 13.6‰, with a mean of 10.5‰ ± 1.4‰ (1 σ). Both δ13C and δ15N values show a wide range of variation.
  
  
  
  Stable isotope data indicate considerable dietary variation in this population associated with a multiethnic and socially stratified military population. Diets ranged from predominantly C3-based to predominantly C4-based, with varying inputs of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine animal protein. Comparison with other European populations further denotes the exceptional range of dietary variation of soldiers and camp followers in Napoleon's army.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602.
authors.forename: Sammantha
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7817-1593
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holder
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816.
authors.forename: Tosha L
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8237-6850
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Dupras
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology, & Anthropology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, LT2009, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Rimantas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jankauskas
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816.
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816.|National Center for Forensic Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000885:Anthropology, Physical; D000068337:Armed Conflicts / Q000266:history*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D004032:Diet / Q000266:history*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000737:chemistry; D005602:France; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000266:history*; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes
keywords: Napoleonic Wars; bioarchaeology; military diet; stable isotopes