Maize and Prehistoric Diets: Isotopic Variation in Eastern North America

因为骨胶原的组成受饮食的影响， 古人类学家使用微量元素分析 和同位素比率来试图 重建生存模式。 这尤其 方法已被用来研究采用玉米 北美印第安人的农业。 变化 假设的饮食与 社会组织。 因为玉米的 大多数北美原住民的碳同位素比率 古人类学家利用碳含量的变化 12/13比率作为饮食中玉米量的指标。 然而，从经验的角度来看，结果似乎 合理的，该系统的许多细节还没有完全理解。 玛格丽特Schoeninger的工作是针对填补在 空包弹 Schoeninger博士将开展一些相关活动。 她将研究史前菌株的现代样本， 确定同位素比率。 然后，她将对这些样本进行 燃烧和其他成岩因素，看看它们是否会影响 比例 她还将分析一系列回收的材料 也有玉米遗迹的考古遗址。 骨 将测定胶原稳定同位素比率。 玉米籽粒 也会分析其同位素组成 单个生化成分的同位素组成 和单个氨基酸。 这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。 一是 有助于开发可用于调查 考古学的一些情况。 其次，它将增加 我们对美国史前史的理解 最后因为 该项目包括学生，它将协助培训 年轻的科学家

Because the composition of bone collagen is affected by diet, paleoanthropologists have used analyses of both trace elements and isotopic ratios in skeletal remains in an attempt to reconstruct patterns of subsistence. In particular, this approach has been employed to study the adoption of maize agriculture among North American Indians. Changes in hypothesized diets have then been correlated with changes in social organization. Because maize has a slightly different ratio of carbon isotopes from most native North American vegetation, paleoanthropologists have used variation in carbon 12/13 ratios as an indicator of the amount of maize in the diet. While, from an empirical perspective, the results appear reasonable, many details of the system are not fully understood. Dr. Margaret Schoeninger's work is directed to filling in the blanks. Dr. Schoeninger will carry out a number of related activities. She will study modern samples of prehistoric strains and determine isotope ratios. She will then subject such samples to burning and other diagenetic factors to see if they affect the ratio. She will also analyze a series of materials recovered from archaeological sites which also contain maize remains. Bone collagen stable isotope ratios will be determined. Maize kernels will then be analyzed for overall isotopic composition, as well as the isotopic composition of individual biochemical components and individual amino acids. This research is important for several reasons. First, it will help to develop techniques which may be used to investigate a number of archaeological situations. Secondly, it will increase our understanding of U.S. prehistory. Finally, because the project includes students, it will assist in the training of young scientists.