Babes, bones, and isotopes: a stable isotope investigation on non ‐adults from Aventicum, Roman Switzerland (1st‐3rd c. CE)

This study presents the stable isotopic results of the first Roman bone sample analyzed from Switzerland (30 non ‐adults and 9 females), allowing us an unprecedented insight into health and diet at the site of Aventicum/Avenches, the capital city of the territory ofHelvetii in Roman times (1st‐3rd c. AD). The fact that the majority of the non ‐adult samples subject to stable isotope analysis were perinates, highlights the complex relationship between their δ15N and δ13C values and those of adult females, as different factors, including variation of fetal and maternal stable isotope values, the possible effects of intrauterine growth, as well as maternal/fetal disease and/or nutritional stress (e.g. nutritional deficiencies such as scurvy, parasitic infections, such as malaria), could have influenced the observed elevated δ15N values.
Source: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology - Category: Science Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research