Abstract
The stable isotope analysis of preserved proteinaceous tissues, such as bone
collagen and hair keratin, offers a powerful means of examining individual dietary practices in archaeology and, through this, inferring the subsistence behaviours, sociocultural practices, and food preferences of past populations. Previous isotope research at the precontact Yup’ik village site of Nunalleq, Alaska, has provided evidence of a mixed diet of marine and terrestrial foods (but likely dominated by salmonids), but also highlighted some dietary variability amongst the inhabitants of the site. However, materials from the older rescue excavations were insufficient to infer whether this variability was interpersonal and/or diachronic in nature. Here, new stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from human hair are presented. These were obtained during the research excavations at Nunalleq from temporally constrained, well-stratified contexts. The new data reveal dietary change through time at the site, highlighting changes in resource use and subsistence practices during the Little Ice Age. During the middle phase of occupation at the site (Phase III; cal AD 1620–1650), diet is more varied, most likely relating to the differing relative contribution of salmon versus higher trophic level marine mammal protein to the diet of some individuals at the site. Analysis reveals these differences to be site-spatial, possibly indicating differences with the use of space at the site, and/or hinting at possible social differentiation in diet during Phase III. In the final occupation phase (Phase II; cal AD 1640–1660), diet is more homogeneous and demonstrates an increased exploitation of higher-trophic level marine foods.
collagen and hair keratin, offers a powerful means of examining individual dietary practices in archaeology and, through this, inferring the subsistence behaviours, sociocultural practices, and food preferences of past populations. Previous isotope research at the precontact Yup’ik village site of Nunalleq, Alaska, has provided evidence of a mixed diet of marine and terrestrial foods (but likely dominated by salmonids), but also highlighted some dietary variability amongst the inhabitants of the site. However, materials from the older rescue excavations were insufficient to infer whether this variability was interpersonal and/or diachronic in nature. Here, new stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from human hair are presented. These were obtained during the research excavations at Nunalleq from temporally constrained, well-stratified contexts. The new data reveal dietary change through time at the site, highlighting changes in resource use and subsistence practices during the Little Ice Age. During the middle phase of occupation at the site (Phase III; cal AD 1620–1650), diet is more varied, most likely relating to the differing relative contribution of salmon versus higher trophic level marine mammal protein to the diet of some individuals at the site. Analysis reveals these differences to be site-spatial, possibly indicating differences with the use of space at the site, and/or hinting at possible social differentiation in diet during Phase III. In the final occupation phase (Phase II; cal AD 1640–1660), diet is more homogeneous and demonstrates an increased exploitation of higher-trophic level marine foods.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 223-242 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Études Inuit Studies |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| Early online date | 8 Oct 2020 |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 8 Oct 2020 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgmentsThis research was funded by an AHRC (AH/K006029/1) grant awarded to Rick Knecht, Kate Britton, and Charlotta Hillerdal (Aberdeen); an AHRC-LabEx award (AH/N504543/ 1) to Kate Britton, Rick Knecht, Keith Dobney (Liverpool), and Isabelle Sidéra (Nanterre); and the MPI-EVA. The onsite collection of samples was carried out by staff and students from the University of Aberdeen, volunteer excavators, and the residents of Quinhagak. We had logistical and planning support for fieldwork by the Qanirtuuq Incorporated, Quinhagak, Alaska, and the people of Quinhagak, whom we also thank for sampling permissions. Thanks to Rick Knecht and Edouard Masson-MacLean (Aberdeen) for useful conversations about food during the production of this manuscript; to Joshua Wright (Aberdeen) for assistance with statistics; to Véronique Forbes (MUN), Jeff Oliver (Aberdeen), and Ellen McManus-Fry (Reading) for comments on an earlier version of this manuscript; to Elodie-Laure Jimenez and Mael Le Corre (Aberdeen) for French translations of the title and abstract; and to Alice Jaspars and Sven Steinbrenner (MPI-EVA) for laboratory assistance and technical support. Special thanks Warren Jones and Qanirtuuq Inc. (especially Michael Smith and Lynn Church); and to all Nunalleq project team members, in Aberdeen and at other institutions.
Keywords
- paleodiet
- keratin
- Alaska
- precontact
- hunter-gatherer-fisher
- marine foragers
- Yup'ik
