Paleodiet in Western Idaho: An analysis of Mid-Archaic human remains from the Braden and DeMoss sites

Two prehistoric archeological sites in western Idaho, the Braden and DeMoss sites, have produced numerous human remains dating to the Middle Holocene. As part of this study, the authors analyzed stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (13C and 15N) from collagen samples of these remains to reconstruct aspects of the diets of these individuals. Carbon isotope values (δ13C‰) from Braden range between − 14.47 and − 16.84; those from the DeMoss ranged between − 19.10 and − 19.13. Nitrogen values (δ15N‰) ranged between 13.7 and 18.1 Braden and between 9.13 and 9.44 at DeMoss. These results indicate that salmon played a vital dietary role for the peoples represented at Braden, whereas individuals living at DeMoss relied on a mixed terrestrial diet. Differences in these subsistence patterns are also suggested by analysis of dental calculus and pathology.