özdemir, kameray hacettepe university - faculty of arts - dept. of anthropology, Turkey , akyol, ali akın gazi university - faculty of fine arts - dept. of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, Turkey , büyükkarakaya, ali metin hacettepe university - faculty of arts - dept. of anthropology, Turkey

Dietary Changes across the Neolithic Levels of the Tepecik-Çiftlik Population

19803

As an important mineral source for the entire organism, bone serves as a useful bioarchive for monitoring past human lifeways like diet, since the concentration of the elements in its structure is influenced by the individual diet. Human and animal bones from three different Neolithic Levels (Level 5, 4, and 3) dated to 6800 and 6100 cal. BC according to the C14 found in Tepecik–Çiftlik, Central Anatolia, were elementally (Ca, P, Mg, Mn, Sr, Zn, Cu, and Pb) investigated by the help of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. The element content of bones refers to post-mortem alteration (diagenesis), especially for manganese and lead. Bivariate treatment of the element with calcium (element/calcium ratio) seems to demonstrate some differences between adult and subadult, male and female, and among levels. Multivariate analysis (PCA and DA) suggests a shift from meat consumption and rich subsistence economy in the lower levels to more vegetable (cereal) consumption and poor economy in the upper level. The results obtained from multivariate treatments are in agreement with the findings of archaeologists and anthropologists who conducted the excavations.

594

trace elements , heavy metals , Neolithic populations , paleodiet , ancient bone , central Anatolia

Gaziantep University Journal Of Social Sciences

610