DIETS IN THREE LATE MEDIEVAL TO EARLY MODERN COASTAL POPULATIONS IN FINLAND ACCORDING TO THE δ13C AND δ15N VALUES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL BONE AND DENTIN COLLAGEN
Keywords:
δ13C, δ15N, collagen, Finland, post-medieval, stable isotope, dietAbstract
We explored the diets in three populations (Iin Hamina, Oulu, Rauma) dating between the late Middle Ages and mid-19th century. We compared diets of mid-childhood, adolescence, and adulthood based on the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in dentin (PM2, M3) and bone collagen. The δ13C values were typical of terrestrial C3 environments and to be expected by the brackish Baltic Sea. The 13C content in the water decreases north- wards, which was reflected in the results. The analyses displayed overall elevated δ15N values, which is consistent with fish having been an important part of the nutrition of all the populations. The PM2 and bone collagen δ15N values diverged in the Iin Hamina population, implying different diets of children and adults.
