Craig Oliver E, Biazzo Marco, O'Connell Tamsin C, Garnsey Peter, Martinez-Labarga Cristina, Lelli Roberta, Salvadei Loretana, Tartaglia Gianna, Nava Alessia, Renò Lorena, Fiammenghi Antonella, Rickards Olga, Bondioli Luca
Centro di Antropologia Molecolare per lo Studio del DNA antico, Università Degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 2009 Aug;139(4):572-83. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.21021.
Here we report on a stable isotope palaeodietary study of a Imperial Roman population interred near the port of Velia in Southern Italy during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were performed on collagen extracted from 117 adult humans as well as a range of fauna to reconstruct individual dietary histories. For the majority of individuals, we found that stable isotope data were consistent with a diet high in cereals, with relatively modest contributions of meat and only minor contributions of marine fish. However, substantial isotopic variation was found within the population, indicating that diets were not uniform. We suggest that a number of individuals, mainly but not exclusively males, had greater access to marine resources, especially high trophic level fish. However, the observed dietary variation did not correlate with burial type, number of grave goods, nor age at death. Also, individuals buried at the necropolis at Velia ate much less fish overall compared with the contemporaneous population from the necropolis of Portus at Isola Sacra, located on the coast close to Rome. Marine and riverine transport and commerce dominated the economy of Portus, and its people were in a position to supplement their own stocks of fish with imported goods in transit to Rome, whereas at Velia marine exploitation existed side-by-side with land-based economic activities.
在此，我们报告一项关于公元1至2世纪埋葬在意大利南部韦利亚港附近的罗马帝国人群的稳定同位素古饮食研究。对从117名成年人以及一系列动物骨骼中提取的胶原蛋白进行了碳和氮稳定同位素分析，以重建个体的饮食历史。对于大多数个体，我们发现稳定同位素数据与以谷物为主的饮食一致，肉类贡献相对适中，海鱼贡献较小。然而，在该人群中发现了显著的同位素变化，表明饮食并不统一。我们认为，一些个体，主要但不限于男性，有更多机会获取海洋资源，特别是高营养级鱼类。然而，观察到的饮食差异与埋葬类型、随葬品数量或死亡年龄均无关联。此外，与位于罗马附近海岸的伊索拉·萨克拉港墓地的同期人群相比，埋葬在韦利亚墓地的个体总体上食用的鱼类要少得多。海洋和内河运输及商业主导着波图斯的经济，那里的人们能够用运往罗马途中的进口货物补充自己的鱼类储备，而在韦利亚，海洋开发与陆地经济活动并存。
