Elise Dufour

Chronology, mound-building and environment at Huaca Prieta, coastal Peru, from 13 700 to 4000 years ago

Renewed in-depth multi-disciplinary investigation of a large coastal mound settlement in Peru has extended the occupation back more than 7000 years to a first human exploitation ~13720 BP. Research by the authors has chronicled the prehistoric sequence from the activities of the first maritime foragers to the construction of the black mound and the introduction of horticulture and monumentality. The community of Huaca Prieta emerges as innovative, complex and ritualised, as yet with no antecedents.

Pastoralism in Northern Peru during Pre-Hispanic Times: Insights from the Mochica Period (100–800 AD) Based on Stable Isotopic Analysis of Domestic Camelids

Llama (Lama glama) and alpaca (Vicugna pacos) are the only large domesticated animals indigenous to the Americas. Pastoralism occupies a fundamental economic, social and religious role in Andean life. Today, camelid livestock are confined to the ecozone of the puna (above 3,500 masl), while their presence on the Pacific coast during pre-Hispanic times is attested by archaeological skeletal remains. This study aims to document herding practices on the northern Peruvian coast during the Early Intermediate Period (200 BC-600 AD) by gaining insights into diet, location of breeding and mobility of archaeological camelids from the funerary and ritual contexts of two Mochica sites, Uhle Platform in Huacas de Moche and El Brujo. The three first early years and the long-term life histories of the animals were documented by the combined bulk analysis of bone collagen (δ13Ccol and δ15Ncol) and bone structural carbonate (δ13Cbone and δ18Obone) and the serial analysis of structural carbonate of molar tooth enamel (δ13Cenamel and δ18Oenamel). Mochica camelids were bred in the low and/or middle valleys, unlike their modern counterparts, who are restricted to highland puna C3 pastures. Archaeological camelids had diverse and complex life histories, usually with substantial maize foddering. An ontogenetic switch in diet and possible residential mobility during the course of life were identified for some specimens. Although the inference of geographic origin from δ18Obone and δ18Oenamel values was limited because of the lack of understanding of the influence of environmental and biological factors, tooth enamel analysis has great potential for exploring camelid herding practices and Andean pastoralism. Our study suggested that Mochica herders adapted their practices to the difficult lowland environment and that herding practices were varied and not restricted to breeding at higher altitudes. The role of maize in different aspects of the economic life of the Mochicas is also underlined.

Life history of the individuals buried in the St. Benedict Cemetery (Prague, 15th–18th Centuries): Insights from 14C dating and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O) analysis

Funerary practices and bioarchaeological (sex and age) data suggest that a mortality crisis linked to an epidemic episode occurred during the fifth phase of the St. Benedict cemetery in Prague (Czech Republic). To identify this mass mortality episode, we reconstructed individual life histories (dietary and mobility factors), assessed the populations biological homogeneity, and proposed a new chronology through stable isotope analysis (δ(13)C, δ(18)O and δ(15)N) and direct radiocarbon dating. Stable isotope analysis was conducted on the bone and tooth enamel (collagen and carbonate) of 19 individuals from three multiple graves (MG) and 12 individuals from individual graves (IG). The δ(15)N values of collagen and the difference between the δ(13)C values of collagen and bone carbonate could indicate that the IG individuals had a richer protein diet than the MG individuals or different food resources. The human bone and enamel carbonate and δ(18)O values suggest that the majority of individuals from MG and all individuals from IG spent most of their lives outside of the Bohemian region. Variations in δ(18)O values also indicate that all individuals experienced residential mobility during their lives. The stable isotope results, biological (age and sex) data and eight (14)C dates clearly differentiate the MG and IG groups. The present work provides evidence for the reuse of the St. Benedict cemetery to bury soldiers despite the funeral protest ban (1635 AD). The Siege of Prague (1742 AD) by French-Bavarian-Saxon armies is identified as the cause of the St. Benedict mass mortality event.

Strontium speciation in archaeological otoliths

Fish otoliths (“ear stones”) are major environmental indicators used in ecology and fisheries sciences. Otoliths consist of a biomineral material containing an organically-templated mineral calcium carbonate, normally aragonite, in which strontium is incorporated at trace to minor levels depending on water chemistry and individual physiology. Sr content and fluctuations inform on the life histories of ancient specimens and provide data for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Identifying the impact of post-mortem alteration is a critical question to assure the reliability of such work. A central parameter for the reliability of Sr content as a palaeoenvironmental proxy is whether the mode of incorporation can be considered as stable and homogenous at the microscale in otoliths over thousands of years. In addition, it is important to know whether a different kind of speciation of Sr is observed, especially at the outer surface of the sample in contact with the soil and local environment. Here, a novel combination of synchrotron microscale point analyses and raster-scanning X-ray absorption spectroscopy is implemented and used for the first time to study otoliths at different length scales, spanning from millimetres down to micrometres. Strontium is found in substitution for calcium in aragonite in all our analyses of five Holocene otoliths and their three modern counterparts; the first set of samples from the Peruvian coast, up to 11 000 years old, are studied for their potential as palaeoenvironmental proxies. The chemical environment of strontium in otoliths is independent of content of this element, location in the otolith, species, and archaeological age. This is shown with a high lateral resolution (about 10 μm) over wide fields of view, as a way to consolidate macro-scale approaches. To our best knowledge, this work is the first report of the chemical environment of strontium in ancient otoliths. Our work opens the way to new approaches to validate palaeoenvironmental studies of biocarbonate paleoproxies.

Inferring occurrence of growth checks in pike (Esox lucius) scales by using sequential isotopic analysis of otoliths

RATIONALE Sequential analysis of otolith oxygen isotope (δ(18) O(oto) ) values was performed by classical mechanical microdrilling and dual inlet mass spectrometry to infer the timing of growth checks in pike (Esox lucius) scales from Lake Annecy (France). It indicated that the first check on scales occurs before the first winter of life of the fish. METHODS Eleven fish caught in February and June 2008 were studied. Intra-individual isotopic profiles exhibit cyclic variations that are consistent with that of modeled δ(18) O(oto) values using variations in epilimnion temperature and otolith-specific isotope fractionation equations. The positions of growth checks on scales were compared with the periodic variations of δ(18) O(oto) values on otolith radii using an allometric relationship. RESULTS All individuals presented at least one check deposited before the first winter. Deposition of some checks might be linked to a shift in fish diet or habitat or to catch-and-release induced stress. CONCLUSIONS Although coupling between sequential analysis of δ(18) O(oto) values and observation of scale growth features has been shown to be useful, there are limitations in the methodology, especially for the growth-attenuated region of otoliths associated with older ages.

Life History and Origin of the Camelids Provisioning a Mass Killing Sacrifice During the Chimú Period: Insight from Stable Isotopes

ABSTRACT The site of Huanchaquito-Las Llamas, situated in the Moche Valley, Peru, dated to the Late Intermediate Period (AD 1100-1470), represents a single event mass killing of children and domestic camelids of the Chimu society. Reconstruction of the life histories of 82 camelid individuals based on stable isotope analysis of bone collagen indicates that they originated from the lowlands. Isotopic inter-individual variability indicates diversity in dietary sources, consisting of wild plants and cultigens, grown in water-limited and non-water-limited conditions, as well as a large proportion of C4 plants, suggesting that the animals originated from various herds that were differently managed. In contrast, uniformity in terms of restricted coat colour and young age could suggest that the animals derived from specialised herds. It is possible that the requirement in a short period of time for a massive number of animals meeting certain criteria exceeded the capacity of these herds. This study presents the largest isotopic dataset measured at a single pre-Hispanic site so far and the first to record herding practices for the Chimú society. Comparison with previous isotopic datasets shows differences between ritual and non-ritual groups, as well as diversity in pastoralism practises through time in the Central Andes.

Contributions of phenetic relationship and stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O) to the study of a mortality crisis in the catacomb of Saints Peter and Marcellinus in Rome (1st-3rd century AD)

Supplement: Program of the 81st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (2012)The catacomb of Saints Peter and Marcellinus located in the south-east of Rome approximately contains 25 000 graves dated from the 3rd to the 5th century AD. Seven newly discovered rooms having an unusual organization in the heart of the catacomb were investigated in 2003. Excavations of these rooms revealed a mass grave, where 3000 corpses were laid together. These individuals were stacked in rows apparently following a common fatal incident. Presumably, this epidemic crisis occurred between the 1st and the 3rd century AD. The specific funerary treatment (textile wrapping and plaster) recalls mummification and might be related to exogenous practices, possibly connected to Early Christians. Moreover, the presence of rare and expensive materials (e.g., Baltic amber, resins and gold threads) may indicate a high social status. Stable isotope analyses (carbon, nitrogen and oxygen) of bone collagen, bone apatite and tooth hydroxyapatite were carried out on 111 individuals to obtain further information on their diet and residential mobility. Additionally, a study of dental nonmetric traits was conducted on 200 individuals to define the biological distance between the deceased and to assess their phenetic similarity. The combination of these two approaches will bring new insight into the homogeneity of the Early population of the catacomb of Saints Peter and Marcellinus and the relationship between funerary practices and geographical origin of buried individuals.