Abstract
This research, born of the interest of paleobiochemical investigation and its potential value in studying the way of life of past human populations, aimed at overcoming some of the main difficulties so far encountered in the application of trace element dosage to dietary reconstruction. These are:
-
the possible existence of intra-individual variations (due to bone and/or kind of tissue, compact or cancellous);
-
the need to evaluate the effect of diagenetic alterations, taking into account the possibility of sample-specific mechanisms, and to set up standardized control procedures;
-
the choice of the more suitable elements, considering that a multielementary approach can be more informative than the dosage of a single element;
-
the possibility to exploit the availability of two independent techniques applicable to paleonutritional reconstruction (trace element and stable isotope dosage) for a reciprocal control and support of the results.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahlgren L, Christoffersson JO, Mattsson S (1981) Lead and barium in archaeological Roman skeletons measured by nondestructive X-ray fluorescence analysis. In: Smith DJ, Barrett CS, Leyden DE, Predecki PK (eds) Advances in X-ray analysis. Plenum, New York, 24: 377. Quoted in Lambert et al. (1984).
Badone E, Farquhar RM (1982) Application of neutron activation analysis to the study of element concentration and exchange in fossil bone. J Radioanal Chem 69: 291–311.
Bietti A (1987) Some remarks on the new radiocarbon dates from the Arene Candide cave (Savona-Italy). Hum Evol 2: (in press).
Brown AB (1974) Bone strontium as a dietary indicator in human skeletal populations. Contr Geol 13: 47–48.
Brown AB, Blakely RL (1985) Biocultural adaptation as reflected in trace elements distribution. J Hum Evol 14: 461–468.
DeNiro MJ (1985) Postmortem preservation and alteration of in vivo bone collagen isotope ratios in relation to paleodietary reconstruction. Nature 317: 806–809.
DeNiro MJ, Epstein S (1981) Influence of diet on the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in animals. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 45: 341–351.
Francalacci P (1987) Oligoelementi e paleonutrizione: Aspetti metodologici e applicativi in due giacimenti italiani (Grotta delle Arene Candide e Grotta dell’Uzzo). Ph.D. thesis, University of Pisa.
Gilbert RJ Jr (1985) Stress, paleonutrition and trace elements. In: Gilbert RJ Jr, Mielke JH (eds) The analysis of prehistoric diets. Academic Press, Orlando, pp 339–357.
Grupe G, Piepenbrink H (1987) Trace element contaminations in excavated human bones by microorganisms. See this book, pp 103–112
Herrmann B, Grupe G (1987) Trace element content in cremated human remains. See this book, pp 91–101
Klepinger LL, Kuhn JK, Williams WS (1986) An elemental analysis of archaeological bone from Sicily as a test of predictability of diagenetic change. Am J Phys Anthrop 70: 325–331.
Lambert JB, Simpson SV, Buikstra JE, Hanson D (1983) Electron microprobe analysis of elemental distribution in excavated human femurs. Am J Phys Anthrop 62: 409–423.
Lambert JB, Simpson SV, Szpunar CB, Buikstra JE (1984) Ancient human diet from inorganic analysis of bone. A Chem Res 17: 298–305.
Lambert JB, Simpson SV, Szpunar CB, Buikstra JE (1985) Bone diagenesis and dietary analysis. J Hum Evol 14: 477–482.
Lambert JB, Vlasak SM, Thometz AC, Buikstra JE (1982) A comparative analysis of ribs and femurs in Woodland populations. Am J Phys Anthrop 59: 289–294.
Maggi R (1977) Lo strato a ceramiche graffite delle Arene Candide. Preist Alp 13: 205–211.
Meulengracht A, McGovern P, Lawn B (1981) University of Pennsylvania Radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 23: 227–240.
Piperno M (1985) Some C dates for the paleoeconomical evidence from the Holocene levels of the Uzzo cave, Sicily. Proc 3rd Conf Italian Archaeol, Cambridge, 6/8–1 1984. B.A.R. Int Ser 244: 83–86.
Price TD (1985) Late archaic subsistence in the Midwestern United States. J Hum Evol 14: 499–459.
Price TD, Connor M, Chase EP (1985) Bone chemistry and the reconstruction of diet: Strontium discrimination in white-tailed deer. J Archaeol Sci 12: 419–442.
Schoeninger MJ (1979) Diet and status at Chalcatzingo: Some empirical and technical aspects of strontium analysis. Am J Phys Anthrop 51: 295–310.
Schoeninger MJ, DeNiro MJ (1984) Nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition of bone collagen from marine and terrestrial animals. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 48: 625–639.
Sillen A (1981) Strontium and diet at Hayonim cave. Am J Phys Anthrop 56: 131–137.
Sillen A, Kavanagh M (1982) Strontium and paleodietary research: A review. Yearb Phys Anthrop 25: 67–90.
Szpunar CB, Lambert JB, Buikstra JE (1978) Analysis of excavated bones by atomic absorption. Am J Phys Anthrop 48: 199–202.
Tauber H (1983) C dating of human beings in relation to dietary habits. Pact J 8: 365–375.
Tauber H (1986) Analysis of stable isotopes in prehistoric populations. Mitt Berl Ges Anthrop Ethn Urgesch7: 31–38.
Tine S (1974) Il Neolitico e l’età del Bronzo della Liguria alla luce delle recenti scoperte. Atti XVI Riun Sc Ist It Preist Protost 16: 37–54.
Underwood EJ (1977) Trace elements in human and animal nutrition, 4 edn. Academic Press, New York.
Walker PL, DeNiro MJ (1986) Stable Nitrogen and Carbon isotope ratios in bone collagen as indices of prehistoric dietary dependence on marine and terrestrial resources in Southern California. Am J Phys Anthrop 71: 51–61.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Francalacci, P., Tarli, S.B. (1988). Multielementary Analysis of Trace Elements and Preliminary Results on Stable Isotopes in Two Italian Prehistoric Sites. Methodological aspects. In: Grupe, G., Herrmann, B. (eds) Trace Elements in Environmental History. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73297-3_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73297-3_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-73299-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-73297-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive