Man Cannot Survive on Beer Alone!

This talk explores how we reconstruct dietary life histories of archaeological individuals from in pre-birth to adulthood. By measuring carbon and nitrogen isotopes in tiny sequential samples of tooth dentine, we can produce individual dietary isotope profiles to an accuracy of two months. This recently developed method enables us to look at the presence and timing of physiological and nutritional status such as developmental milestones, breastfeeding, weaning, dietary changes and starvation. We will look at archaeological case studies from the Neolithic to the 19th century.

This talk explores the health issues faced by people living 5.000-2.000 years ago in what is now the Republic of Sudan based on the analysis of skeletons from Mograt Island. Faced with an expanding desert and changes in food availability these individuals tell us about the problems of adapting to climate change. Many individuals had suffered from infection of the lungs and despite climate deterioration and potential food shortages there is little evidence for violence, although broken bones were seen in many of the individuals, attesting to a life filled with accidents.