Loading...
Isotope analysis of incremental human dentine: towards higher temporal resolution
Beaumont, Julia Gledhill, Andrew R. Montgomery, Janet
Beaumont, Julia
Gledhill, Andrew R.
Montgomery, Janet
Publication Date
2014
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Rights
(c) 2014 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
Collections
Abstract
Here we present a novel method which allows the measurement of the stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) from much smaller samples of dentine than previously possible without affecting the quality parameters. The reconstruction of the diet of past populations using isotopic analysis of bone collagen is a well-established tool. However, because of remodelling of bone throughout life, this gives a blurred picture of the diet. The analysis of δ13C and δ15N from tiny increments of dentine utilizes tissue that does not remodel and permits comparison, at the same age, of those who survived infancy with those who did not at high temporal resolution. This new method has been tested on archaeological teeth from two sites: three molar teeth from the 19th Century Kilkenny Union Workhouse Famine cemetery, Ireland; and three from the Anglian (5-7th centuries AD) cemetery at West Heslerton, Yorkshire, England, selected on the basis of their varied preservation. The methods of incremental dentine sectioning described in Beaumont et al (2013)[1] were carried out and a sub-section removed prior to denaturing and lyophilisation. The two sample sets, dentine and collagen from each section, were measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The profiles produced from each of the six teeth studied show close correlation in isotope ratios indicating that demineralized dentine which has not been denatured and lyophilised produces isotope ratios comparable with dentine collagen. This finding allows analysis of extremely small samples of dentine which could previously not be measured using current instruments and methods.
Version
Published version
Citation
Beaumont J, GledhilL AR and Montgomery J (2014) Isotope analysis of incremental human dentine: towards higher temporal resolution. Bulletin of the International Association for Paleodontology. 8(2): 212-223.
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Article