The Beaker People Project: an interim report on the progress of the isotopic analysis of the organic skeletal material
Resource type
Book chapter
Creator (person)
Jay, Mandy
Parker Pearson, Mike
Richards, Mike
Nehlich, Olaf
Montgomery, Janet
Chamberlain, A
Sheridan, J A
Date published
2012
Abstract
This paper is intended as an interim update for the Beaker People Project. The project aims to investigate mobility, diet, environment, and subsistence for the Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze Age population of Britain using a number of research tools, but particularly isotopic analysis of bones and teeth. This paper concentrates on the organic analyses yielding carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotope ratio data, but also discusses the project remit and the use of strontium and oxygen ration values to track mobility. The project is discussed in general terms, an overview of the collagen analysis results is provided, general diet at this time is discussed, and interesting facets of the carbon and sulphur data are covered. Over 250 individuals from the north of Scotland down to southern England have been investigated for this project and a site list is included. This is a major five year project, so the discussion here is necessarily limited to the situation at the time of writing (June 2009) rather than to the publication date of this volume.
Series name
Prehistoric Society Research Paper
Book title
Is there a British Chalcolithic?: people, place and polity in the later 3rd millennium
Editor
Allen, M J
Gardiner, J
Sheridan, J A
Issue
4
Pagination
226-236
Publisher
Prehistoric Society
Place of publication
Oxford
Rights statement
In Copyright
Additional information
Accompanying CD contains Table 15.1: List of individuals included in the Beaker People Project for isotopic analysis