Process / pipelineBiogeochemistry
Isotope Diet Reconstruction
Isotope diet reconstruction uses the stable isotope ratios of carbon (C13/C12) and nitrogen (N15/N14) in human bone collagen to infer the composition of past diets. Pioneered by Margaret Schoeninger and Michael DeNiro in the 1980s, this method reveals long-term dietary patterns by analyzing the chemical signature of food absorbed into skeletal tissues. Stable isotopes provide quantitative information about the relative contributions of terrestrial versus marine foods, and between plant and animal sources, making it a powerful tool for understanding past subsistence practices.
Open in MethodMindSoonVideoSoon
Read the full method
Members only
Sign inSign in with a free account to read this section.
Sources
- Schoeninger, M. J., & DeNiro, M. J. (1983). Nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition of bone collagen from marine and terrestrial animals. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 47(4), 625-639. DOI: 10.1016/0016-7037(83)90093-X ↗
- Ambrose, S. H. (1990). Preparation and characterization of bone and tooth collagen for isotopic analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science, 17(4), 431-451. DOI: 10.1016/0305-4403(90)90007-R ↗
- Katzenberg, M. A. (2008). Stable isotope analysis: a tool for studying past diet, demography, and life history. In M. A. Katzenberg & S. R. Saunders (Eds.), Biological Anthropology of the Human Skeleton (pp. 413-441). Wiley-Liss. link ↗