Prehistoric Human Bone

Archaeology at the Molecular Level
Herausgegeben:Grupe, Gisela; Lambert, Joseph B.

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Locked up within human bone are tantalizing clues concerningthe diets consumed by ancient peoples. On the one hand theamounts of certain elementsin bone (strontium, zinc) serveas measures of protein, fiber, and calcium intake. On theother hand, the ratios of carbon isotopes and of nitrogenisotopes provide information on questions of fish vs. meat,herbivore vs. carnivore, or (for animals) browser (shrubs)vs. grazer (grasses). Such information can provide a windowon many aspects of prehistoric cultures and can supplementthe nonskeletal archaeological record. In addition to thesetwo approaches, the biochemical record in bone from proteinand nucleic acids such as DNA serves as a source ofnondietary information such as genetic relationships. Thisvolume treats all three subjects.: elemental, isotopic, andbiochemical. The foremost experts in the areas providefundamental descriptions of the techniques, express theirconcerns over the limitations of the methods, and describerecent applications to archaeological studies.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Springer, Berlin
• Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1993
• Seitenzahl: 324
• Erscheinungstermin: 16. Januar 2013
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 235mm x 155mm x 18mm
• Gewicht: 498g
• ISBN-13: 9783662028964
• ISBN-10: 3662028964
• Artikelnr.: 39158019

Autorenporträt

Gisela Grupe ist Professorin für Anthropologie an der LMU München.

Inhaltsangabe

Experimental Evidence for the Relationship of the Carbon Isotope Ratios of Whole Diet and Dietary Protein to Those of Bone Collagen and Carbonate.- Age Differences and Population Variation in Stable Isotope Values from Ontario, Canada.- Light, Stable Isotopes and the Subsistence Base of Formative Cultures at Valdivia, Ecuador.- Isotopic Evidence for Diets of Prehistoric Farmers in South Africa.- Effect of Diet Quality and Composition on the Isotopic Composition of Respiratory CO2, Bone Collagen, Bioapatite, and Soft Tissues.- Ba/Ca as a Diagenetic Indicator for Evaluating Buried Bone Tissues: Advances in Tissue Selection, Reducing Contamination and Data Evaluation.- Reproducibility and Reliability of Trace Element Analysis in an Italian Medieval Necropolis.- Baselines and Variabilities of Major and Trace Elements in Bone.- Indicators for Seasonality in Trace Element Patterns.- Dietary Inferences from Element Analyses of Bone.- The Investigation of Lipids in Organic Residues by Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry: Applications to Palaeodietary Studies.- Initial Stages of Bone Decomposition: Causes and Consequences.- The Other Molecules in Ancient Bone: Noncollagenous Proteins and DNA.- Abrasion as an Intrinsic Factor in Palaeodiet.