Stable isotope analyses in arch aeozoology

methodological considerations and examples of integration using gazelles and cattle from the Neolithic site of Tell Halula (Middle Eufrates Valley, Republic of Sy ria)

Carlos Tornero1

Introduction

The analysis of the stable isotope ratios of same chemical elements has been increasingly applied in archaeology. This is an analytical technique that allows the chemical form and materials to be characterized and has the potential to describe specific features of the archaeological record precisely. In 1967 Robert Hall published an article in which he described the main possibilities in archaeology for analysing organic remains, although his approach was not implemented until 10 years later (Hall 1967, p. 177‑179). J. C. Vogel and Nikolaas J. Van der Merwe, an American geochemical and a South African archaeologist respectively, performed the first applications at the end of the 70s (Vogel, Van der M erwe 1977; Van der Merwe, Vogel 1978). This coincided with the first implementation of other types of chemical analyses of organic remains, such as the analysis of trace elements (Brown 1973, 1974; Gilbert 1975; Lambert et al. 1979). These analyses have mainly been carried out on human remains, while more recently there have been more analyses of animal and plant remains (see synthesis on Katzenberg 2000; Larsen 2002; Ambrose, Krigbaum 2003; Harrison, Katzenberg 2003), as well as from food remains recovered in containers (Dudd, Evershed 1998; Craig et al. 2000; Craig 2006) or accumulated organic matter in sediments (Pustovoytov

et al. 2007). These analyses have been used to reconstitute human diet and feeding patterns, environmental conditions (climate, temperature, vegetation, etc.) (see as well synthesis mentioned), and more recently, aspects of production and distribution of foodstuffs (management of domestic animals: Makarewicz, Tuross 2005; crop production: Araus et al. 2001; Ferrio 2005), etc. They have also been used to study social inequalities based on individual consumption (Ambrose et al. 2003; García et al. 2004). Basically, the main stable isotope ratios recounted are those of carbon 13C/ 12C, oxygen 18O/ 16O, nitrogen

15N/ 14N and strontium 87Sr/ 86Sr. Carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, together with hydrogen and sulphide are called the five elements of life, and are present not only in every living organism but also in all biological relations. Therefore, they are involved in the entire set of chemical reactions of organic processes, such as the consumption of vegetal foods and animals, ingested water, food production, etc. (Schoeller 1999). Using strontium, however, replies on the particularities of the geological reference where these processes take place, and occur in organic matter occupying the sites of calcium during metabolic assimilation processes such as nutrition (Bentley 2006).