Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis on human remains from the Early Mesolithic site of La Vergne (Charente - Maritime, France)

Journal article

We report here the results of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human and faunal remains La Vergne (Charente-Maritime, western France), a rare Early Mesolithic burial site (ca. 8500-8000 cal BC). The results for nine humans (average δ¹³C = -19.3‰) indicate a strongly terrestrial diet, dominated by animal protein, with the possibility of, at best, a slight contribution of marine-derived protein. Given lower sea-levels in the early Holocene, the site would have been some 6-80 km from the sea at the time of its use; nevertheless, contacts with the coast are shown by the presence of numerous marine shell beads in the graves. In the light of the stable isotope results, it is suggested here that such contacts most likely took the form of exchange with coastal communities whose remains now lie underwater.

Authors: Schulting, R; Blockley, S; Bocherens, H; Drucker, D; Richards, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: Journal of Archaeological Science
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 763-772
• Publication date: 2008-03-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2007.06.008
• ISSN: 0305-4403
• Language: English
• Keywords: stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes; territoriality; France; Early Mesolithic; palaeodiet
• Subjects: Archaeology