Paleodiet reconstruction of Bronze Age Siberians from the mortuary site of Khuzhir-Nuge XIV, Lake Baikal

Paleodiet reconstruction using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen was carried out on individuals from the Bronze Age cemetery, Khuzhir-Nuge XIV on the western shore of Lake Baikal, Russian Federation. The cemetery contained 79 graves with 89 individuals and was in use between approximately 2700 and 2000 cal. B.C. with the exception of one burial, dated to around 4000 B.C. Archaeological and ethnographic evidence indicates that hunting and fishing were the main subsistence activities while gathering was less important. delta C-13 from collagen and carbonate apatite was analysed, along with delta N-15 from collagen. Bone mineral preservation was evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. delta C-13 and delta N-15 of collagen are positively Correlated and reflect varying reliance on terrestrial mammals, fish, and seals from Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal biota exhibit considerable variation in delta C-13 at the base of the food web thus: there is variation in human delta C-13 (-20.1 parts per thousand to -16.2 parts per thousand) despite the fact that there are no C-4 plants in the region. delta N-15 results (range 10.3 parts per thousand-16.5 parts per thousand) indicate that fish, and possibly seals, made Lip Some of the diet for everyone, but in varying amounts relative to terrestrial herbivores. (delta C-13 from carbonate is not correlated with delta C-13 from collagen, a situation that has been found in remains from other coastal sites. A mixed diet from both terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems is the most likely explanation. Analysis of mortuary variables within the cemetery reveals three distinct clusters of graves with variations in burial treatment among the clusters. delta N-15 values are significantly different among these clusters, Suggesting ail association between diet and mortuary customs. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.