Locked up within human bone are tantalizing clues concerning the diets consumed by ancient peoples. On the one hand, the amounts of certain elements in bone (strontium, zinc) serve as measures of protein, fibre and calcium intake. On the other hand, the ratios of carbon and nitrogen isotopes provide information on questions concerning fish versus meat, herbivore versus carnivore, or (for animals) browser (shrubs) versus grazer (grasses). Such information can provide a window to many aspects of prehistoric cultures and can supplement the nonskeletal archaeological record. In addition to these two approaches, the biochemical record in bone from protein and nucleic acids such as DNA serves as a source of non-dietary information such as genetic relationships. This volume treats all three subjects: elemental, isotopic and biochemical aspects. The contributors provide fundamental descriptions of the techniques, express their concerns over the limitations of the methods, and describe recent applications to archaeological studies.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Springer-Verlag Berlin AND Heidelberg Gmbh & Co. KG
ISBN-13
9783540553939
eBay Product ID (ePID)
89945832
Product Key Features
Number of Pages
322 Pages
Language
English
Publication Name
Prehistoric Human Bone: Archaeology at the Molecular Level
Publication Year
1993
Subject
Archaeology, Geology, Biology
Type
Textbook
Author
Gisela Grupe, Joseph B. Lambert
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
216 mm
Item Weight
615 g
Item Width
138 mm
Additional Product Features
Editor
Joseph B. Lambert, Gisela Grupe
Country/Region of Manufacture
Germany
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