Sex Determination and Isotopic Analysis of the Nivåfjord Mesolithic Burials, Zealand, Denmark

Kurt Joseph Gron; Harry Kenneth Robson; Nicolas A Stewart; T. Rowan McLaughlin; Chris Meiklejohn; Peter Rowley-Conwy; Ole Lass  Jensen; Janet Montgomery

doi:10.7146/dja.v12i1.136939

Sex Determination and Isotopic Analysis of the Nivåfjord Mesolithic Burials, Zealand, Denmark

Kurt Joseph Gron, Harry Kenneth Robson, Nicolas A Stewart, T. Rowan McLaughlin, Chris Meiklejohn, Peter Rowley-Conwy, Ole Lass Jensen, Janet Montgomery

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Since 1992 the prehistoric Nivåfjord in northeast Zealand, Denmark, has yielded an appreciable number of inhumation burials and cremations dating to the Mesolithic, especially the sites of Nivå 10 and Nivågård. Unfortunately, the micro-region is characterised by poor organic preservation, restricting the successful application of biomolecular techniques to human remains, including large-scale radiocarbon dating programmes as well as both stable isotope and ancient DNA analyses. Here, we apply an alternative technique, an acid etch peptide-based method, to determine the sex of eight individuals from Nivå 10 as well as the Nivågård child. Moreover, we revisit the utility of stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis of human tissues to reconstruct the life histories and diets of 10 individuals from Nivå 10 as well as the Nivågård child. To contextualise further, we sampled 14 Capreolus capreolus and three Sus scrofa from the Nivågård site for stable isotope analysis. We demonstrate that sex can successfully be determined from contexts susceptible to poor organic preservation, and show that the Nivågård child spent a proportion of its life outside a sea spray-influenced environment, and consumed significant quantities of marine protein as demonstrated by its δ13C and δ34S values.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-16
Number of pages	16
Journal	Danish Journal of Archaeology
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7146/dja.v12i1.136939
Publication status	Published - 20 Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

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10.7146/dja.v12i1.136939Licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Gron et al. 2023
© 2023 Kurt J. Gron, Harry K. Robson, Nicolas A. Stewart, Peter Rowley-Conwy, Ole Lass Jensen, Janet Montgomery
Final published version, 2.52 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-SA

Cite this

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title = "Sex Determination and Isotopic Analysis of the Niv{\aa}fjord Mesolithic Burials, Zealand, Denmark",

abstract = "Since 1992 the prehistoric Niv{\aa}fjord in northeast Zealand, Denmark, has yielded an appreciable number of inhumation burials and cremations dating to the Mesolithic, especially the sites of Niv{\aa} 10 and Niv{\aa}g{\aa}rd. Unfortunately, the micro-region is characterised by poor organic preservation, restricting the successful application of biomolecular techniques to human remains, including large-scale radiocarbon dating programmes as well as both stable isotope and ancient DNA analyses. Here, we apply an alternative technique, an acid etch peptide-based method, to determine the sex of eight individuals from Niv{\aa} 10 as well as the Niv{\aa}g{\aa}rd child. Moreover, we revisit the utility of stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis of human tissues to reconstruct the life histories and diets of 10 individuals from Niv{\aa} 10 as well as the Niv{\aa}g{\aa}rd child. To contextualise further, we sampled 14 Capreolus capreolus and three Sus scrofa from the Niv{\aa}g{\aa}rd site for stable isotope analysis. We demonstrate that sex can successfully be determined from contexts susceptible to poor organic preservation, and show that the Niv{\aa}g{\aa}rd child spent a proportion of its life outside a sea spray-influenced environment, and consumed significant quantities of marine protein as demonstrated by its δ13C and δ34S values.",

author = "Gron, {Kurt Joseph} and Robson, {Harry Kenneth} and Stewart, {Nicolas A} and McLaughlin, {T. Rowan} and Chris Meiklejohn and Peter Rowley-Conwy and Jensen, {Ole Lass} and Janet Montgomery",

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T1 - Sex Determination and Isotopic Analysis of the Nivåfjord Mesolithic Burials, Zealand, Denmark

AU - Gron, Kurt Joseph

AU - Robson, Harry Kenneth

AU - Stewart, Nicolas A

AU - McLaughlin, T. Rowan

AU - Meiklejohn, Chris

AU - Rowley-Conwy, Peter

AU - Jensen, Ole Lass

AU - Montgomery, Janet

PY - 2023/12/20

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N2 - Since 1992 the prehistoric Nivåfjord in northeast Zealand, Denmark, has yielded an appreciable number of inhumation burials and cremations dating to the Mesolithic, especially the sites of Nivå 10 and Nivågård. Unfortunately, the micro-region is characterised by poor organic preservation, restricting the successful application of biomolecular techniques to human remains, including large-scale radiocarbon dating programmes as well as both stable isotope and ancient DNA analyses. Here, we apply an alternative technique, an acid etch peptide-based method, to determine the sex of eight individuals from Nivå 10 as well as the Nivågård child. Moreover, we revisit the utility of stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis of human tissues to reconstruct the life histories and diets of 10 individuals from Nivå 10 as well as the Nivågård child. To contextualise further, we sampled 14 Capreolus capreolus and three Sus scrofa from the Nivågård site for stable isotope analysis. We demonstrate that sex can successfully be determined from contexts susceptible to poor organic preservation, and show that the Nivågård child spent a proportion of its life outside a sea spray-influenced environment, and consumed significant quantities of marine protein as demonstrated by its δ13C and δ34S values.

AB - Since 1992 the prehistoric Nivåfjord in northeast Zealand, Denmark, has yielded an appreciable number of inhumation burials and cremations dating to the Mesolithic, especially the sites of Nivå 10 and Nivågård. Unfortunately, the micro-region is characterised by poor organic preservation, restricting the successful application of biomolecular techniques to human remains, including large-scale radiocarbon dating programmes as well as both stable isotope and ancient DNA analyses. Here, we apply an alternative technique, an acid etch peptide-based method, to determine the sex of eight individuals from Nivå 10 as well as the Nivågård child. Moreover, we revisit the utility of stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis of human tissues to reconstruct the life histories and diets of 10 individuals from Nivå 10 as well as the Nivågård child. To contextualise further, we sampled 14 Capreolus capreolus and three Sus scrofa from the Nivågård site for stable isotope analysis. We demonstrate that sex can successfully be determined from contexts susceptible to poor organic preservation, and show that the Nivågård child spent a proportion of its life outside a sea spray-influenced environment, and consumed significant quantities of marine protein as demonstrated by its δ13C and δ34S values.

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