High-resolution dietary reconstruction of victims of the 79 CE Vesuvius eruption at Herculaneum by compound-specific isotope analysis
Soncin, Silvia (University of York. Department of Archaeology)
Talbot, Helen M. (University of York. Department of Archaeology)
Fernandes, Ricardo (Masaryk University)
Harris, Alison (Stockholm University)
von Tersch, Matthew (University of York. Department of Archaeology)
Robson, Harry K. (University of York. Department of Archaeology)
Bakker, Jan K. (University of Amsterdam)
Richter, Kristine K. (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History)
Alexander, Michelle (University of York. Department of Archaeology)
Ellis, Steven (University of Cincinnati. Department of Classics)
Thompson, Gill (University of Bradford)
Amoretti, Valeria (Parco Archeologico di Pompei)
Osanna, Massimo (Parco Archeologico di Pompei)
Caso, Marina (Parco Archeologico di Ercolano)
Sirano, Francesco (Parco Archeologico di Ercolano)
Fattore, Luciano (Sapienza Università di Roma. Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale)
Colonese, Andre Carlo (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Garnsey, Peter (University of Cambridge)
Bondioli, Luca (Università di Padova. Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali)
Craig, Oliver E. (University of York. Department of Archaeology)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Compound-specific isotope analysis of human bone collagen provides a snapshot of dietary variability at Roman Herculaneum. The remains of those who perished at Herculaneum in 79 CE offer a unique opportunity to examine lifeways across an ancient community who lived and died together. Historical sources often allude to differential access to foodstuffs across Roman society but provide no direct or quantitative information. By determining the stable isotope values of amino acids from bone collagen and deploying Bayesian models that incorporate knowledge of protein synthesis, we were able to reconstruct the diets of 17 adults from Herculaneum with unprecedented resolution. Significant differences in the proportions of marine and terrestrial foods consumed were observed between males and females, implying that access to food was differentiated according to gender. The approach also provided dietary data of sufficient precision for comparison with assessments of food supply to modern populations, opening up the possibility of benchmarking ancient diets against contemporary settings where the consequences for health are better understood.
Grants:	European Commission 693600
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	Science advances, Vol. 7, Issue 35 (August 2021) , art. abg5791, ISSN 2375-2548

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg5791
PMID: 34433561

9 p, 1.1 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles