Reconstructing Life Histories: New Insights Into Cremation Practices, Mobility, and Food Consumption Patterns Through Isotope and Infrared Analyses of Petrous Parts and Teeth.

Objectives: Several archaeological cremation sites in Belgium have been investigated through a multidisciplinary approach. The sampling process predominantly focused on calcined ribs, diaphyses, and crania. However, previous studies rarely included teeth or the inner cortex (IC) of the otic capsule...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:American Journal of Biological Anthropology Vol. 187; no. 1; pp. 1 - 20
Autores principales: Frère, Anneminne, Löffelmann, Tessi, Veselka, Barbara, Stamataki, Elisavet, Sengeløv, Amanda, James, Hannah F., de Mulder, Guy, Claes, Britt, de Backer, Free, Snoeck, Christophe
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell May2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=185490698&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 185490698
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        26927691
        MYY3
      jtl: American Journal of Biological Anthropology
      issn: 26927691
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: May2025
      vid: 187
      iid: 1
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
    artinfo:
      ui:
        185490698
        10.1002/ajpa.70058
      ppf: 1
      ppct: 19
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Reconstructing Life Histories: New Insights Into Cremation Practices, Mobility, and Food Consumption Patterns Through Isotope and Infrared Analyses of Petrous Parts and Teeth.
      aug:
        au:
          Frère, Anneminne
          Löffelmann, Tessi
          Veselka, Barbara
          Stamataki, Elisavet
          Sengeløv, Amanda
          James, Hannah F.
          de Mulder, Guy
          Claes, Britt
          de Backer, Free
          Snoeck, Christophe
        affil:
          Archaeology, Environmental Changes, and Geo‐Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
          Brussels Research Centre for Innovation in Learning and Diversity, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
          Department of Biology of Organisms and Ecology, Research Unit: Anthropology and Human Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
          Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
          Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels, Belgium
      su:
        Belgium
        Cremation
        Food consumption
        Archaeology
        Physical mobility
        Teeth
        Bronze Age
        Temporal bone
        Isotopic analysis
      sug:
        subj:
          Cremation
          Food consumption
          Archaeology
          Belgium
          Physical mobility
          Teeth
          Bronze Age
          Temporal bone
          Isotopic analysis
      keyword:
        cremated bones
        cremation practices
        mobility
        petrous parts
        teeth
        cremated bones
        cremation practices
        mobility
        petrous parts
        teeth
      ab: Objectives: Several archaeological cremation sites in Belgium have been investigated through a multidisciplinary approach. The sampling process predominantly focused on calcined ribs, diaphyses, and crania. However, previous studies rarely included teeth or the inner cortex (IC) of the otic capsule of the petrous part, both of which can provide information regarding residence and mobility during infancy and childhood. Moreover, the potential of these elements to contribute to understanding cremation practices has been largely unexplored. Therefore, this study examines the value of sampling these early‐forming skeletal tissues for the study of mobility, food consumption patterns, and cremation practices. Materials and Methods: Two Late Bronze Age–Early Iron Age cremation sites in Belgium, Herstal (132 skeletal elements) and Court‐Saint‐Étienne (39 skeletal elements), were selected for this purpose. Mobility was examined via strontium isotope analysis, and cremation practices through stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy in Attenuated Total Reflectance mode (FTIR‐ATR). Results: Our findings underscore the importance of sampling different skeletal elements to reconstruct life histories and interpret cremation practices. Differences between the strontium isotope ratios of infancy/childhood (IC and teeth) and those of continuously remodeling skeletal tissues (cranium, diaphysis, rib) revealed changes in food consumption, relocations throughout life, and multiple individuals within a single grave. Including petrous parts and teeth significantly affected statistical comparisons of infrared and carbon–oxygen isotope data across skeletal elements and cremation sites. Discussion: This study highlights the value of integrating petrous parts and teeth to better understand cremation practices, mobility, and food consumption patterns, while also stressing the importance of caution when comparing sites with different sampling approaches.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N