Some theoretical aspects of isotope paleodiet studies

The introduction of stable isotope analysis (carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulphur) of bones and food residues allows anthropologists to define more precisely the actual consumption patterns of extinct populations. However, this requires that: (a) we know the ranges of compositions of possible foods; (b) that there be isotopic variability in these foods (although some information about trophic-levels can be obtained for consumers of isotopically …