Paleodiet reconstruction of Bronze Age Siberians from the mortuary site of Khuzhir-Nuge XIV, Lake Baikal

Paleodiet reconstruction using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen was carried out on individuals from the Bronze Age cemetery, Khuzhir-Nuge XIV on the western shore of Lake Baikal, Russian Federation. The cemetery contained 79 graves with 89 individuals and was in use between approximately 2700 and 2000 cal. B.C. with the exception of one burial, dated to around 4000 B.C. Archaeological and ethnographic evidence indicates that hunting and fishing were the main subsistence activities while gathering was less important. δ13C from collagen and carbonate apatite was analysed, along with δ15N from collagen. Bone mineral preservation was evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. δ13C and δ15N of collagen are positively correlated and reflect varying reliance on terrestrial mammals, fish, and seals from Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal biota exhibit considerable variation in δ13C at the base of the food web thus; there is variation in human δ13C (−20.1‰ to −16.2‰) despite the fact that there are no C4 plants in the region. δ15N results (range 10.3‰–16.5‰) indicate that fish, and possibly seals, made up some of the diet for everyone, but in varying amounts relative to terrestrial herbivores. δ13C from carbonate is not correlated with δ13C from collagen, a situation that has been found in remains from other coastal sites. A mixed diet from both terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems is the most likely explanation. Analysis of mortuary variables within the cemetery reveals three distinct clusters of graves with variations in burial treatment among the clusters. δ15N values are significantly different among these clusters, suggesting an association between diet and mortuary customs.