Diet at Late Chalcolithic Çamlıbel Tarlası, north-central Anatolia: An isotopic perspective

Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope analysis of bone collagen from 57 human and 137 faunal samples was conducted with the aim of reconstructing human diet at the Late Chalcolithic (mid-4th millennium BC) site of Çamlıbel Tarlası, north-central Anatolia. The analyses indicate that the diet of the inhabitants of Çamlıbel Tarlası was based largely on C3 resources. Comparison of human and faunal δ15N values suggest that animal proteins were likely to be of secondary importance to diet, with cultigens such as wheat and barley and potentially pulses taking the role of dietary staples. Age-related variation in stable isotope signals was identified.