DOCSLIB.ORG

Age-Related Variation in Isotopic Indicators of Diet at Medieval Kulubnarti, Sudanese Nubia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Age-Related Variation in Isotopic Indicators of Diet at Medieval Kulubnarti, Sudanese Nubia International Journal of Osteoarchaeology Int. J. Osteoarchaeol. 17: 1–25 (2007) Published online 22 September 2006 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/oa.862 Age-related Variation in Isotopic Indicators of Diet at Medieval Kulubnarti, Sudanese Nubia B. L. TURNER,a* J. L. EDWARDS,b E. A. QUINN,c J. D. KINGSTONa AND D. P. VAN GERVENd a Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA b Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA c Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA d Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA ABSTRACT This study compares trends in dietary composition in two large cemetery populations from the site of Kulubnarti (AD 550–800) in Sudanese Nubia. Bone collagen and bone apatite carbonate were analysed to characterise stable carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopes. Previous research on these cemeteries has suggested marked differences in nutritional status and health between the populations. Contrary to expectations, there were no significant relationships between any isotopic indicators related to sex or cemetery of burial, suggesting no isotopically-measurable differences in diet. However, collagen 13C and 15N were significantly related to age, suggesting age-related differences in protein intake or other factors. Weaning trends are gradual and variable, with the range in 15N values exceeding 4% among infants/young children (0–3 yrs) and standard deviations exceeding 1% in collagen 13C and 15N for both infants/young children and subadults (4–17 yrs). This suggests varied weaning strategies among both populations and variable diets prior to adulthood. Also observed was a distinct range of isotopic carbon and nitrogen values among individuals classified as subadults (4–17 yrs), who are depleted in collagen 13C and 15N relative to adults. However, both infants/young children and subadults are slightly enriched in 18O relative to adults, which suggests the presence of non-local individuals or age-related variation in water sources. While most isotopic studies of age-related dietary trends have focused on reconstructing the weaning process, this study presents findings that indicate tripartite isotopic trends distinguishing infancy, subadulthood and adulthood as separate dietary categories. Broad similarities are evident between the results presented here and those from several earlier studies of smaller populations and to nutritional studies of modern communities. These findings suggest that further research into health disparities at Kulubnarti should focus on non-dietary causal factors, and more generally, that greater attention should be paid to subadulthood in palaeodiet studies. Copyright ß 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key words: Kulubnarti; weaning; subadult; diet; Nubia; isotopes; collagen; apatite Introduction of bioarchaeological research, utilising biochem- ical measures of the relative importance of consti- Isotopic reconstructions of palaeodiet in archae- tuent food types to individual diets (DeNiro ological populations constitute an important area & Schoeninger, 1983; Schwarcz & Schoeninger, 1991; Katzenberg, 1992; Schoeninger & Moore, 1992; Ambrose, 1993; Katzenberg et al., 1995; * Correspondence to: Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Fogel et al., 1997). Such techniques provide e-mail: [email protected] insights into patterns of subsistence and resource Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Received 4 April 2004 Revised 2 August 2005 Accepted 28 November 2005 2 B. L. Turner et al. utilisation, and measure inter- and intra-group Weber, 1999; Aufderheide & Santoro, 1999; variation in dietary composition, such as the White et al., 2001; Richards et al., 2003; Papatha- relative abundance of different forms of protein nasiou, 2003; Yoneda et al., 2004). Oxygen iso- and carbohydrate in the overall diet (reviewed topes in bone and enamel apatite, expressed as in Katzenberg & Harrison, 1997). 18O, reflect the isotopic composition of sources Palaeodietary analyses using stable isotopes of consumed water, and can be used to recon- have grown increasingly sophisticated with the struct seasonality, geographical origin and pat- refinement of analytical techniques, increased terns of migration in several species of animals resolution and greater understanding of the com- (Koch et al., 1989; Kohn et al., 1998; Gadbury plex and variable cycling of stable isotopes et al., 2000) and humans (Fricke et al., 1995; White in biological systems. Carbon isotopes in bone et al., 1998, 2002). 13 and tooth apatite, expressed as CAP, generally Isotopic markers of dietary composition reflect the relative abundance of 13C:12C related to developmental age or assigned sex in the overall diet (Ambrose & Norr, 1993). are useful in discussing less tangible cultural Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in bone characteristics such as gender variation in diet 13 collagen, expressed respectively as CCOL and (Reinhard et al., 1994) and constructions of dif- 15N, primarily reflect the contribution and ferent life stages within a context of differential source of dietary protein. Nitrogen isotopes subsistence strategies. An example is the distinct also reflect trophic-level effects in protein intake range of isotopic values commonly found in the associated with the position of organisms in food tissues of infants who subsist primarily on protein webs (Lee-Thorp et al., 1989; Ambrose & Norr, sources such as breastmilk or herbivore milk 1993; Ambrose et al., 1997). Calculated offsets during the first months of life. Preserved infant 13 13 15 between apatite and collagen C( CAP- tissues commonly show an enrichment of N 13 18 CCOL, i.e. ÁAP-COL) estimate the relative and O in their skeletal tissues by as much as dependence on animal versus vegetable protein 3–5% relative to the tissues of juveniles and and is used to measure the extent of carnivory in adults (Jenkins et al., 2001; Bocherens & Drucker, the diet or changes in dietary macronutrients 2003), reflecting trophic-level fractionation (Lee-Thorp et al., 1989). Early interpretations of effects between the maternal diet, breastmilk these offsets suggested that values of 4% or less and infant tissues. Population-specific weaning indicated diets in which the bulk of carbon was trends in humans and other animals can be drawn from animal protein, indicating a more characterised isotopically as the introduction of carnivorous subsistence pattern, while values of supplementary foods through enrichment in 6–7% indicated a more herbivorous diet, and 13C and the cessation of breastfeeding through values intermediate between the two indicated an depletion of 15N as the diet becomes more like omnivorous diet (Krueger & Sullivan, 1984). that of associated adults (Katzenberg, 1992; More recent interpretations, however, suggest Schoeninger, 1995; Katzenberg et al., 1996; that dietary differences only account for part of Balasse et al., 2001). Recently, 18O has been this herbivore–carnivore effect and must be con- characterised in human enamel carbonate to sidered along with processes such as methano- track changes in water intake associated with genesis and bone formation (Hedges, 2003), the weaning process, as infants are supplemented pointing to the need to consider metabolic varia- with water directly after getting their water tion across taxa when interpreting offset values. exclusively from maternal milk during breastfeed- From these premises, carbon and nitrogen iso- ing (Wright & Schwarcz, 1998, 1999). topes have been used to explore further the The importance of infant and weanling diets as trophic-level effects between isotopic signatures correlated to short-term and long-term health in tissues of consumers and their prey (Sullivan & outcomes is well documented in clinical literature Krueger, 1983), the metabolic effects of water (Cunningham, 1995; Oddy, 2002), and the tim- stress (Ambrose, 1991), and human subsistence ing of the process as well as the composition of variation in a wide variety of ecological contexts weaning foods often influences rates of infant (Larsen et al., 1992; Pate, 1997; Katzenberg & morbidity and mortality (McDade & Worthman, Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol. 17: 1–25 (2007) Age-related Isotopic Variation in Nubia 3 1998). Isotopic studies of archaeological popula- Sudan (Figure 1). The samples are from riverine tions have demonstrated shifts in 15N and 13C cemeteries less than 1 km apart, both dated to AD among the remains of the very young and 550–800 and encompassing the Early Christian allowed researchers to estimate the timing and phase of the medieval period (Adams et al., 1999). nature of introduced supplemental foods (Kat- Previous studies have suggested differential nutri- zenberg et al., 1996; Schurr, 1997; Herring et al., tional and occupational stress between the two 1998; Dupras et al., 2001). Such studies have samples, possibly reflecting differential status, brought new dimensions to studies of the detri- based on pathological indicators such as cribra mental effects of dietary change in archaeological orbitalia and reduced cortical thickness (Mittler & populations, measured primarily through ana- Van Gerven, 1994; Van Gerven et al., 1995). The lyses of enamel hypoplasia and other dental non-specific nature of these indicators and the pathology (Katzenberg et al., 1996). number
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Research on Ancient DNA in the Near East Mateusz Baca*1, Martyna Molak2 1 Center for Precolumbian Studies, University of Warsaw, Ul
    Bioarchaeology of the Near East, 2:39–61 (2008) Research on ancient DNA in the Near East Mateusz Baca*1, Martyna Molak2 1 Center for Precolumbian Studies, University of Warsaw, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland email: [email protected] (corresponding author) 2 Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warsaw, ul. Pawińskiego 5a, 05-106 Warsaw, Poland Abstract: In the early 1990s, when studies of ancient DNA became possible, new perspectives of analyzing archaeological data also developed. Nowadays, because the methodology related to ancient DNA research is well developed, it has been used to reveal several aspects of human history and interaction. Here we review the basic concepts, methodologies, and recent developments in the fi eld of ancient DNA studies with a special refe- rence to the Near East. Th is includes not only human but also animal and bacterial DNA. Key words: archaeogenetics, aDNA, mtDNA, tuberculosis, animal domestication Introduction Human genomes accumulate mutations gradually over time. Th e forces of genetic drift and natural selection either cause these changes to disappear or to become established in the popu- lation. By the end of the 1990s, Amorim (1999) introduced the term “archaeogenetics” in reference to using information regarding genetic diff erences between humans to understand demographic events that took place in the past. Pioneering studies of human genetic diversity date back to 1970s when Cavalli-Sforza published a report on the diversity of European populations based on classic protein mark- ers (see Cavalli-Sforza et al. 1994 for a review). In the mid-eighties, great opportunities for studying human diversity arose with the invention of polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
    [Show full text]
  • Victoria En Nubia
    ^J ^K FEBRERO/ MARZO 1980 7 francos (España: 150 pesetas) El Correo*la unesco 1a3 » Victoria Mí en IMubia fe 4.000 años de historia '/, salvados de las aguas ^W^W^Íi I t Foto Ù- Museo Nacional de Varsovia Caballo nubio TESOROS Este caballo pertenece a una pintura mural de la catedral de Faras que actualmente se con¬ DEL ARTE serva en el Museo de Varsovia como regalo del Gobierno sudanés. (Los gobiernos de Sudón y de Egipto donaron a cada uno de los países que participaron en la campaña de Nubia una parte MUNDIAL de los tesoros descubiertos por sus misiones arqueológicas). Faras, o Pachoras, según su nom¬ bre preérabe, era un importante centro de la Nubia sudanesa, situado muy cerca de la frontera con Egipto. De su excavación se encargó la expedición arqueológica polaca. El sitio fue uno de ^% los primeros de la Nubia sudanesa en quedar sumergidos por las aguas de la gran presa de Asuán. La catedral de Faras tuvo gran importancia en la historia del cristianismo en la Nubia inferior. En esta pintura el artista del siglo XII imita perfectamente los movimientos del caballo Sudán que se encabrita. Los dos apéndices bajo la pata delantera derecha parecen indicar que lo aquí reproducido era un ornamento que podía clavarse o colgarse. páginas ei Correo ^e ^a unesc° "LA HISTORIA DE LOS HOMBRES.. por Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow Una ventana abierta al mundo Lanzada por la Unesco, la mayor operación de salvamento arqueológico de todos los tiempos (1960-1980) FEBRERO-MARZO 1979 AÑO XXXII 5 VICTORIA EN NUBIA: EGIPTO por Shehata Adam Mohamed PUBLICADO EN 20 IDIOMAS 16 VICTORIA EN NUBIA: SUDAN por Negm-EI-Dln Mohamed Sherif Español Italiano Turco Inglés Hindi Urdu 14 MONUMENTOS SALVADOS DEL NILO Mapa Francés Tamul Catalán Ruso Hebreo Malayo 20 NUBIA REDESCUBIERTA Alemán Persa Coreano De la prehistoria a los tiempos faraónicos por Torgny Säve-Söderbergh Arabe Portugués Swahili Japonés Neerlandés 25 VICISITUDES DE UNA HISTORIA Del Imperio de Kush al Islam por William Y.
    [Show full text]
  • Graffiti-As-Devotion.Pdf
    lsa.umich.edu/kelsey/ i lsa.umich.edu/kelsey/ lsa.umich.edu/kelsey/ iii Edited by Geoff Emberling and Suzanne Davis Along the Nile and Beyond Kelsey Museum Publication 16 Kelsey Museum of Archaeology University of Michigan, 2019 lsa.umich.edu/kelsey/ iv Graffiti as Devotion along the Nile and Beyond The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, Ann Arbor 48109 © 2019 by The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology and the individual authors All rights reserved Published 2019 ISBN-13: 978-0-9906623-9-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2019944110 Kelsey Museum Publication 16 Series Editor Leslie Schramer Cover design by Eric Campbell This book was published in conjunction with the special exhibition Graffiti as Devotion along the Nile: El-Kurru, Sudan, held at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The exhibition, curated by Geoff Emberling and Suzanne Davis, was on view from 23 August 2019 through 29 March 2020. An online version of the exhibition can be viewed at http://exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu/graffiti-el-kurru Funding for this publication was provided by the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and the University of Michigan Office of Research. This book is available direct from ISD Book Distributors: 70 Enterprise Drive, Suite 2 Bristol, CT 06010, USA Telephone: (860) 584-6546 Email: [email protected] Web: www.isdistribution.com A PDF is available for free download at https://lsa.umich.edu/kelsey/publications.html Printed in South Korea by Four Colour Print Group, Louisville, Kentucky. ♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).
    [Show full text]
  • Revue D'ethnoécologie, 15 | 2019
    Cotton in ancient Sudan and Nubia: archaeological sources and historical implications Yvanez, Elsa Cécile Francine; Wozniak, Magdalena Published in: Revue d'Ethnoécologie DOI: 10.4000/ethnoecologie.4429 Publication date: 2019 Document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Document license: CC BY-NC-ND Citation for published version (APA): Yvanez, E. C. F., & Wozniak, M. (2019). Cotton in ancient Sudan and Nubia: archaeological sources and historical implications. Revue d'Ethnoécologie, 15. https://doi.org/10.4000/ethnoecologie.4429 Download date: 24. Sep. 2021 Revue d’ethnoécologie 15 | 2019 Cotton in the Old World Cotton in ancient Sudan and Nubia Archaeological sources and historical implications Le coton en Nubie et au Soudan anciens : sources archéologiques et implications historiques Elsa Yvanez and Magdalena M. Wozniak Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/4429 DOI: 10.4000/ethnoecologie.4429 ISSN: 2267-2419 Publisher Laboratoire Eco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie Electronic reference Elsa Yvanez and Magdalena M. Wozniak, « Cotton in ancient Sudan and Nubia », Revue d’ethnoécologie [Online], 15 | 2019, Online since 30 June 2019, connection on 10 December 2019. URL : http:// journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/4429 ; DOI : 10.4000/ethnoecologie.4429 This text was automatically generated on 10 December 2019. Revue d'ethnoécologie est mis à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Attribution - Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale - Pas de Modification 4.0 International. Cotton in ancient Sudan and Nubia 1 Cotton in ancient Sudan and Nubia Archaeological sources and historical implications Le coton en Nubie et au Soudan anciens : sources archéologiques et implications historiques Elsa Yvanez and Magdalena M.
    [Show full text]
  • Inferring the Social Organization of Medieval Upper Nubia Using Nonmetric Traits of the Skull
    INFERRING THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF MEDIEVAL UPPER NUBIA USING NONMETRIC TRAITS OF THE SKULL By Emily Rose Streetman A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Anthropology – Doctor of Philosophy 2018 ABSTRACT INFERRING THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF MEDIEVAL UPPER NUBIA USING NONMETRIC TRAITS OF THE SKULL By Emily Rose Streetman Medieval Nubia was composed of three kingdoms located along the Middle Nile. Although biological distance (biodistance) research has demonstrated population continuity in this region, little is known about the population structure or social organization in any single era. The Medieval Period (550–1500 CE) was a particularly dynamic one in Nubia, since all three kingdoms converted to Christianity in the mid-sixth century CE, and neighboring polities converted to Islam a century later. The political ramifications of these conversions have been studied at a large scale, but little research has investigated the local processes that comprise social organization during this time. Minimal research has used contemporary populations to analyze regional, local, and family level social organization in Nubia. Biodistances were investigated through nonmetric traits of the skull in six cemeteries from three archaeologically defined sites in modern northern Sudan, using Mahalanobis D2 distance, among other statistical tests. The six cemeteries in this study are from Mis Island (three cemeteries), Kulubnarti (two cemeteries), and Gabati (one cemetery). Mis Island and Kulubnarti were part of the same kingdom (Makuria) from the seventh century on, while Gabati was part of the far Upper Nubian kingdom of Alwa. When cemeteries from the same sites are pooled, results show that the two more northerly sites were more closely related, while the third site, located in a different kingdom, was biologically distant.
    [Show full text]
  • Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia Hillary Jane Glasgow University of Colorado at Boulder, [email protected]
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CU Scholar Institutional Repository University of Colorado, Boulder CU Scholar Anthropology Graduate Theses & Dissertations Anthropology Spring 1-1-2011 Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia Hillary Jane Glasgow University of Colorado at Boulder, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.colorado.edu/anth_gradetds Part of the Biochemistry Commons, and the Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Glasgow, Hillary Jane, "Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia" (2011). Anthropology Graduate Theses & Dissertations. Paper 10. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Anthropology at CU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Graduate Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CU Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS OF HAIR FROM CHRISTIAN PERIOD KULUBNARTI IN SUDANESE NUBIA by HILLARY JANE GLASGOW B.S., Kansas State University, 2006 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Anthropology 2011 This thesis entitled: Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia written by Hillary Jane Glasgow has been approved by the Department of Anthropology Dr. Matt Sponheimer Dr. Dennis Van Gerven Dr. Michelle Sauther Date The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline.
    [Show full text]
  • Dietary Seasonal Variations in the Medieval Nubian Population of Kulubnarti As 2 Indicated by the Stable Isotope Composition of Hair
    1 Dietary seasonal variations in the Medieval Nubian population of Kulubnarti as 2 indicated by the stable isotope composition of hair 3 Walaa A. Basha,a* Angela L. Lamb, b Moushira E. Zaki,a Wafaa A. Kandeel,a Nagui H. Fares,c 4 Andrew T. Chamberlain.d 5 6 a Biological Anthropology Department, Medical research division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt 7 b NERC Isotope, Geosciences Laboratory, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, UK 8 c Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt 9 d School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, UK 10 11 *Corresponding author. Tel.:+201023815246 12 E-mail address: [email protected] 13 14 Abstract 15 Objectives: The island of Kulubnarti is located in Sudanese Nubia and contains two 16 cemeteries, named R and S, which are dated to AD 550-800. In order to provide more 17 detailed dietary information for this population and examine seasonality of diet, we 18 analyzed the carbon isotope composition of hair samples from both cemeteries. 19 Materials and methods: Forty seven separate hair samples from 8 adults, 29 adolescents, 20 7 infants and 3 individuals with unknown age were analyzed. Long hair samples were cut 21 transversely and divided into 2 cm longitudinal segments, to examine temporal variations 22 in the dietary carbon sources. 23 Results: The average carbon isotope value for the whole population was -17.95 ‰ 24 (SD=1.8). A significant difference between the two cemeteries was found with variances 25 in the amount of C4 dietary carbon sources consumed. 26 Discussion: The results of hair isotope compositions concur with previous soft tissue 27 investigations of Kulubnarti population which suggested that the dietary regimen contains 28 a mix of C3 and C4 plant-based sources.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sudan Archaeological Research Society; the First 25 Years Derek A
    SUDAN & NUBIA The Sudan Archaeological Research Society; the first 25 years Derek A. Welsby Since its foundation in 1991 the Sudan Archaeological Re- search Society has made a significant contribution to the study of Sudan’s archaeology and heritage and to publicising them through lectures, publications and its website. Much has changed in Sudan since 1991, the most fundamental being the division of the country into the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan in 2011. In some parts of the Plate 2. A ferry crossing the Nile to Merowe in 2003. Sudans peaceful conditions prevail offering the possibility plains (Plate 3). Sign posts were non-existent. The route was of fieldwork while other areas have for extended periods once described thus – “coming out of Omdurman head just become closed to archaeological and anthropological activi- to the left of the hills you see to the north west, drive for ties. Although the interests of the Society cover the whole of about 5 hours then make sure not to take the track veering off the two Sudans it has not been directly involved in organising to the right. After another 6 hours going more or less north or funding projects in the south or west. Its activities mir- turn sharply to the east and you will hit the river at Dongola”. ror the focus of research particularly along the Nile Valley Fuel could be obtained in Khartoum – the next fuel stop but also to a lesser extent in the adjacent desert areas and in was in Dongola. Crossing the river was a time consuming Eastern Sudan.
    [Show full text]
  • Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti In
    STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS OF HAIR FROM CHRISTIAN PERIOD KULUBNARTI IN SUDANESE NUBIA by HILLARY JANE GLASGOW B.S., Kansas State University, 2006 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Anthropology 2011 This thesis entitled: Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia written by Hillary Jane Glasgow has been approved by the Department of Anthropology Dr. Matt Sponheimer Dr. Dennis Van Gerven Dr. Michelle Sauther Date The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. ii Glasgow, Hillary Jane (M.A., Department of Anthropology) Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia Thesis directed by Associate Professor Matt Sponheimer Stable isotope analysis of hair was used to investigate the dietary patterns of individuals from the Christian period Sudanese Nubian site of Kulubnarti, taking into consideration established patterns of health. Over three decades of research has shown consistent differences between two cemetery populations, believed to represent diachronic periods of use. In this study, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analyzed to reconstruct aspects of diet, while oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios were analyzed to evaluate the belief that S cemetery dates to the Early Christian period (A.D. 600-850), while the R cemetery dates to the Late Christian period (A.D. 1100-1400). These isotopic data suggest that diets were very similar between the two populations, and therefore did not directly cause the observed differential patterns of stress.
    [Show full text]
  • Tetracycline Labeled Bone Content Analysis of Ancient Nubian Remains from Kulubnarti
    TETRACYCLINE LABELED BONE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT NUBIAN REMAINS FROM KULUBNARTI THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Julie Anna Margolis Graduate Program in Anthropology The Ohio State University 2015 Master's Examination Committee: Dr. Clark Spencer Larsen, co-advisor Dr. Samuel D. Stout, co-advisor Dr. Douglas E. Crews Copyrighted by Julie Anna Margolis 2015 ABSTRACT Armelagos and colleagues (2001) have hypothesized that beer is a conduit for in vivo tetracycline consumption by ancient Nubians. Streptomycetes bacteria has a high prevalence in Sudanese-Nubian soil (60 -70%) and secretes the antibiotic under harsh conditions such as fermentation. At the site of Kulubnarti, 21-S-46 cemetery (716 CE) skeletons likely represent a working underclass contemporaneous with the 21-R-2 cemetery (752 CE) containing the remains of a land-owning class. Interpretations of archaeological and osteological evidence suggest that poorer health and higher mortality occurred in the S population. To test whether an anticipated difference in tetracycline ingestion between S and R cemetery populations existed, the amount of tetracycline- labeled bone was quantified under ultra violet light using image analysis software. Amount of tetracycline labeling was expressed in terms of the total area of labeled bone tissue in square micrometers, number of labeled osteons, and number of grid intersections over labeled bone. No significant differences in percent tetracycline-labeled bone tissue, or percent labeled osteons was observed between cemeteries. These results suggest that tetracycline ingestion was similar for S and R group members, class differences were not mediating tetracycline ingestion, and both sub-groups had equal access to beer.
    [Show full text]
  • At Ukma-Akasha West?
    Études et Travaux XXXII (2019), 53–79 A Possible Monastery and the ‘Upper Maqs’ at Ukma-Akasha West? D N. E Abstract: This paper summarises previously unpublished records relating to a series of unusual, and perhaps associated enclosed medieval settlements in the area of Akasha and Ukma West, excavated in 1969 by the Archaeological Survey of Sudanese Nubia. When excavated, one site, namely [21-N-11], which contained a small church, was thought likely to have been a monastery. An unusual site close by is also briefl y discussed. Two other enclosed sites, and perhaps a further uncompleted example, have some features in common with the putative monastic site, although other functions may be considered. That some of these might relate to the historically recorded government ‘customs post’, the ‘Upper Maqs’, is also possible. While defi nitive identifi cations are not possible, a number of features of these sites, which cannot be easily paralleled elsewhere in Nubia, suggest their wider interest, and that they merit further study. Keywords: medieval Nubia, monasteries, Akasha, fortifi cations, ‘Upper Maqs’ David N. Edwards, School of Archaeology & Ancient History, University of Leicester, Leicester; [email protected] The modern districts of Ukma and Akasha are located towards the southern end of the Batn al-Hajar region of Middle Nubia. This barren and rocky stretch of the Nile extends over c. 130km between the Second Cataract and the Dal Cataract. Within this region a series of rapids may present signifi cant if variable barriers to river transport through the annual cycles of the Nile. The Ukma-Akasha area seems likely to be the location of the ‘Upper Maqs’ recorded in medieval sources, identifi ed as the site of a ‘customs post’, controlling passage southwards but otherwise unknown.
    [Show full text]
  • Thesis – Fall 2009 (.Pdf)
    A BIOCULTURAL ANALYSIS OF NUBIAN FETAL POT BURIALS FROM ASKUT, SUDAN by LAUREN R. BRITTON B.A. Arizona State University, 2006 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2009 © 2009 Lauren R. Britton ii ABSTRACT The skeletal remains in this study were excavated from the Nubian archaeological island fortress site of Askut (ca. 1850 BC - 1070 BC, New Kingdom/Third Intermediate period), located at the 2nd Cataract of the Nile river in Sudan. These remains were recovered as part of an archaeological expedition from 1962-1964, which was an effort to learn as much as possible about this site before the building of the High Dam in Aswan. Seven fetal skeletons (dated ca. 1260-770 BC) were examined for their biocultural significance. Biological analysis of these individuals indicates a range in developmental age from 36 to 40 weeks gestation. Three of the seven individuals show signs of pathology, including vertebral lesions, a deformed sphenoid, and cranial infectious bone reaction. These individuals, all interred in ceramic pots, were excavated from the pomoerium (the religious/sacred boundary or symbolic wall) of Askut’s fortress. The interment style and burial location indicate that these individuals were treated differently in comparison to the children and adults of Askut, who were most likely buried in the cemeteries along the banks of the Nile. As Nubia was an Egyptian colony at this point in history, Egyptian influences and ideology would have had a large impact on Nubian culture, and this is reflected in the burial treatment of these individuals.
    [Show full text]