Prehistoric Human Bone: Archaeology at the Molecular Level

Locked up within human bone are tantalizing clues concerning the diets consumed by ancient peoples. On the one hand, the amounts of certain elements in bone (strontium, zinc) serve as measures of protein, fibre and calcium intake. On the other hand, the ratios of carbon and nitrogen isotopes provide information on questions concerning fish versus meat, herbivore versus carnivore, or (for animals) browser (shrubs) versus grazer (grasses). Such information can provide a window to many aspects of prehistoric cultures and can supplement the nonskeletal archaeological record. In addition to these two approaches, the biochemical record in bone from protein and nucleic acids such as DNA serves as a source of non-dietary information such as genetic relationships. This volume treats all three subjects: elemental, isotopic and biochemical aspects. The contributors provide fundamental descriptions of the techniques, express their concerns over the limitations of the methods, and describe recent applications to archaeological studies.