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Aquatic resources in human diet in the Late Mesolithic in Northern France and Luxembourg: insights from carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope ratios
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We investigated the contribution of freshwater resources to the diet of seven Late Mesolithic hunter-gatherers (ca. 5300–7000 BC) from Northern France and Luxembourg using stable isotope ratios. In addition to the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ13C, δ15N), we explored the potential of the sulphur isotopic ratios (δ34S) to detect and quantify the proportion of protein derived from aquatic foodstuff. In only two sites, animal remains from an associated settlement were available and subsequently examined to decipher the isotopic differential between terrestrial and freshwater resources. The quantification of their relative contribution was simulated using a Bayesian mixing model. The measurements revealed a significant overlap in δ13C values between freshwater and terrestrial resources and a large range of δ15Nvalues for each food category. The δ34S values of the aquatic and terrestrial animals were clearly distinct at the settlement in the Seine valley, while the results on fish from Belgium demonstrated a possible overlap in δ34S values between freshwater and terrestrial resources. Local freshwater ecosystem likely contributed to ca. 30–40 % of the protein in the diet of the individuals found in the Seine settlement. Out of this context, the isotopic signature and thus contribution of the available aquatic foods was difficult to assess. Another potential source of dietary protein is wild boar. Depending on the local context, collagen δ34S values may contribute to better assessment of the relative contribution of freshwater and terrestrial resources.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
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Aramazdospirifer orbelianus (Abich, 1858) n. comb., a new cyrtospiriferid brachiopod genus and a biostratigraphically important species from the lower Famennian (Upper Devonian) of Armenia.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022
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Archaeobotanical evidence on the Neolithisation of Northeast Bulgaria in the Balkan-Anatolian context: chronological framework, plant economy and land use
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The study presents archaeobotanical analyses of four Early Neolithic sites (Koprivets, Orlovets, Dzhulyunitsa, Samovodene) from Northeast Bulgaria. Those archaeobotanical data are linked to comprehensive series of 14C dates for the early Neolithic in northeastern Bulgaria allowing their attribution to high resolution radiocarbon chronology. In the considered sites the dominating cereal crop during the Early Neolithic is hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare var. vulgare), followed by einkorn (Triticum monococcum) and few emmer (Triticum dicoccum) what is a clear difference from the southern parts of Bulgaria where during the early Neolithic the dominating cereal crops are einkorn and emmer. Further principal crops, present from the earliest phases of the Neolithic in the region are lentil – Lens culinaris, pea – Pisum sativum, grass pea – Lathyrus sativus/cicera and flax – Linum usitatissimum. Wide spectrum of finds of gathered plants (at least 11 taxa) reflects the use of the natural vegetation resources. Useful for reconstructing the vegetation and land use in the Neolithic are also wood charcoal identifications, indicating apart of oak forests also presence of open vegetation, riparian forests and wetlands. The relatively open vegetation in the surrounding of the early Neolithic settlements could be one of the reasons why the corresponding locations were chosen by the Neolithic people to settle there. On the other hand this open vegetation could be caused by the Neolithic land use and animal husbandry, which have also led to certain reduction of the forests in the immediate surroundings of the settlements.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Archaeobotanical Studies from Hierakonpolis: Evidence for Food Processing During the Predynastic Period in Egypt
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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Archaeometric and archaeological characterization of the fired clay brick production in the Brussels-Capital Region between the XIV and the end of the XVIII centuries (Belgium).
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
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Archaeozoological evidence for the former presence of spotted-necked otter ( Lutra maculicollis ) in Egypt
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A description is given of the skeletal remains of otter discovered at the Late Palaeolithic fishing sites Makhadma 2 and 4. This is the second archaeozoological find of otter in Egypt and the first one that allows an identification at species level. The possible reasons for the rarity of otter remains in sites along the Egyptian Nile are discussed as well as the possible causes for the present-day local extinction of the species. The consequences of these bone finds for the interpretation of animal depictions and statuettes in ancient Egyptian art are briefly mentioned.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Archaeozoology in Sub-Saharan Africa. . In: A. Smith Livingstone, E. Cornelissen, O. Gosselain, S. MacEachern (eds) Field Manual for African Archaeology. Tervuren: RMCA, series ‘Documents on Social Sciences and Humanities’, pp. 210-213
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
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Archéologie virtuelle et réelle dans la grotte de Bruniquel (Tarn-et-Garonne)
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Once we have recalled the surprising results obtained from the constructions of the Bruniquel cave, an Early Middle Palaeolithic (EMP) age, therefore of Neanderthal origin (MIS 6), we summarise from a heritage, archaeological and methodological point of view our multi-disciplinary or interdisciplinary interventions on this specific site, now protected as a historic monument. The constrained access to the site, the taphonomical parameters and the originality of the building material used (calcite) all complicate the methodological advances of the archaeological research that is still in progress.,Une fois rappelés les résultats étonnants accordant aux constructions de la grotte de Bruniquel (Tarn-et-Garonne) un âge Paléolithique moyen ancien, donc néandertalien (MIS 6), nous résumons d’un point de vue patrimonial, archéologique ou méthodologique nos interventions pluri- ou interdisciplinaires sur ce site désormais classé au titre des monuments historiques. La contrainte d’accès au site, les paramètres taphonomiques et l’originalité du matériau de construction sollicité (la calcite) ajoutent à la complexité méthodologique de l’opération d’étude qui est toujours en cours.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Are Cardinium infections causing asexuality in non-marine ostracods?
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RBINS Staff Publications 2020
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Are Cardinium infections causing asexuality in non-marine ostracods?
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Endosymbiotic bacteria manipulating host biology and reproduction, and sometimes also causing parthenogenesis, are known from many metazoan taxa. Three recent studies have reported Cardinium endosymbionts in non-marine ostracods with different reproductive modes. Here, we test with all available data which (a)biotic factors could possibly shape infection patterns in these crustaceans. The presence of Cardinium in non-marine ostracods differs significantly between genders and between species with different reproductive modes. We observed more infections in females and found Cardinium only in ostracods with mixed and asexual reproduction. There is a significant positive correlation between latitude and Cardinium infection, which might be linked to geographic parthenogenesis, a common phenomenon in non-marine ostracods with mixed reproduction. We suggest that the observed patterns best fit a polymorphic equilibrium between endosymbionts and their hosts. Ostracods with mixed reproduction often produce young asexual lineages, implying that Cardinium infections might have occurred more recently, and are widespread. In contrast, putative ancient asexual darwinulid ostracod shows less frequent occurrence of Cardinium. Loss of endosymbionts in these asexual ostracods during their long evolutionary histories of millions of years seems a more likely explanation. Which factors influence Cardinium prevalence in non-marine ostracods needs to be further tested in life history experiments.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
