Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.jas.2011.06.024
Titel (primär) Manuring and stable nitrogen isotope ratios in cereals and pulses: towards a new archaeobotanical approach to the inference of land use and dietary practices
Autor Fraser, R.A.; Bogaard, A.; Heaton, T.; Charles, M.; Jones, G.; Christensen, B.T.; Halstead, P.; Merbach, I.; Poulton, P.R.; Sparkes, D.; Styring, A.K.
Quelle Journal of Archaeological Science
Erscheinungsjahr 2011
Department BZF
Band/Volume 38
Heft 10
Seite von 2790
Seite bis 2804
Sprache englisch
Keywords Nitrogen; Stable isotopes; Manuring; Neolithic; Crop husbandry; Palaeodiet
Abstract

This paper explores the impact of animal manure application on the δ15N values of a broad range of crops (cereals and pulses), under a range of manuring levels/regimes and at a series of locations extending from northwest Europe to the eastern Mediterranean. We included both agricultural field experiments and areas where ‘traditional’ farming is practised. Our aim is to ground-truth interpretation of δ15N values in archaeobotanical crop remains as evidence of past growing conditions and husbandry practices. The results confirm the potentially radical impact of manuring on δ15N values in cereals, depending on manuring level, but indicate only a slight effect on pulses, which can fix atmospheric nitrogen. The expected geographical trend towards greater δ15N with increasing climatic aridity is not apparent, probably because the growing conditions for crops are ‘buffered’ through crop management. Each of these observations has fundamental implications for archaeobotanical interpretation of δ15N values as evidence of land use practices and (together with analysis of bone collagen/tooth enamel in potential consumers) palaeodiet.
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=11709
Fraser, R.A., Bogaard, A., Heaton, T., Charles, M., Jones, G., Christensen, B.T., Halstead, P., Merbach, I., Poulton, P.R., Sparkes, D., Styring, A.K. (2011):
Manuring and stable nitrogen isotope ratios in cereals and pulses: towards a new archaeobotanical approach to the inference of land use and dietary practices
J. Archaeol. Sci. 38 (10), 2790 - 2804 10.1016/j.jas.2011.06.024