🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Stable isotope analysis can differentiate between consumption of highland tubers and lowland maize in ancient remains.
Isotopic analysis of human remains from Tiwanaku indicates dietary diversity between approximately 600 and 1000 CE. Stable isotope ratios reveal consumption of both local highland crops and imported maize. Evidence also suggests access to animal protein from camelids such as llamas and alpacas. Variation in isotopic signatures implies differential access among social groups. Some individuals show greater maize consumption, possibly reflecting status. Dietary reconstruction relies on chemical signatures preserved in bone collagen. The findings indicate complex food distribution networks. Urban populations did not rely solely on local tubers. Nutrition patterns reflect both trade and social hierarchy.
💥 Impact (click to read)
Dietary diversity supports larger urban populations. Access to imported maize implies trade integration. Social variation in diet indicates stratification. Resource allocation likely reinforced elite authority. Nutritional stability underpins labor productivity. Bioarchaeological evidence connects biology to governance. Food distribution became institutional mechanism.
For individuals, diet differences shaped health outcomes. Access to diverse foods may have reduced deficiency risks. Social inequality manifested in chemical traces centuries later. Meals became markers of status. Trade networks influenced daily nutrition. Bone isotopes preserve economic history. Biology records political structure.
Source
National Geographic coverage of Andean archaeological science
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