Stable isotope dietary analysis of the Tianyuan 1 early modern human

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 106; no. 27; pp. 10971 - 10974
• Main Authors: Hu, Yaowu, Shang, Hong, Tong, Haowen, Nehlich, Olaf, Liu, Wu, Zhao, Chaohong, Yu, Jincheng, Wang, Changsui, Trinkaus, Erik, Richards, Michael P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 07.07.2009; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: animal-based foods; Animals; Archaeology; Bones; carbon; Carbon Isotopes; China; Collagens; Cultural anthropology; Diet; Diet - history; dietary indicators; Fishes; Food Chain; food composition; food consumption; freshwater fish; Freshwater fishes; Herbivores; History, Ancient; human nutrition; Human remains; Humans; Isotope Labeling; Isotopes; Nitrogen; Nitrogen Isotopes; Social Sciences; stable isotopes; Sulfur; Sulfur isotopes; China; Zhoukoudian China
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0904826106

We report here on the isotopic analysis of the diet of one of the oldest modern humans found in Eurasia, the Tianyuan 1 early modern human dating to [almost equal to]40,000 calendar years ago from Tianyuan Cave (Tianyuandong) in the Zhoukoudian region of China. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of the human and associated faunal remains indicate a diet high in animal protein, and the high nitrogen isotope values suggest the consumption of freshwater fish. To confirm this inference, we measured the sulfur isotope values of terrestrial and freshwater animals around the Zhoukoudian area and of the Tianyuan 1 human, which also support the interpretation of a substantial portion of the diet from freshwater fish. This analysis provides the direct evidence for the consumption of aquatic resources by early modern humans in China and has implications for early modern human subsistence and demography.