Exploring Dietary Variability in a War of 1812 Skeletal Collection from Stoney Creek, Ontario, Using Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes

The stable isotope composition of human bones was analyzed to investigate the diet of 19th-century soldiers who died during the Battle of Stoney Creek, Ontario, on 6 June 1813. Eighteen bones were selected from the skeletal remains recovered from the Smith’s Knoll Monument to identify the diets of these soldiers in the years prior to their deaths on the battlefield. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic data suggest a high degree of dietary variability within the Smith’s Knoll sample. The δ13C and δ15N values obtained from bone collagen and δ13C values from bone carbonate indicate that, throughout both their civilian and military lives, the Smith’s Knoll soldiers consumed carbohydrates (e.g., wheat and maize) with protein derived primarily from terrestrial sources in the form of domestic livestock. Our results suggest that most of these individuals consumed staple foods characteristic of diets in 19th-century North America and the United Kingdom, with a small number of individuals (n=2) supplementing its diet with freshwater fish.