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 …