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Isotope evidence for the intensive use of marine foods by Late Upper Palaeolithic humans

Richards, M.P.; Jacobi, R.; Cook, J.; Pettitt, P.B.; Stringer, C.B.

Authors

M.P. Richards

R. Jacobi

J. Cook

C.B. Stringer



Abstract

We report here on direct evidence for the intensive consumption of marine foods by anatomically modern humans at approximately 12,000 years ago. We undertook isotopic analysis of bone collagen from three humans, dating to the late Palaeolithic, from the site of Kendrick's Cave in North Wales, UK. The isotopic measurements of their bone collagen indicated that ca. 30% of their dietary protein was from marine sources, which we interpret as likely being high trophic level marine organisms such as marine mammals. This indicates that towards the end of the Pleistocene modern humans were pursuing a hunting strategy that incorporated both marine and terrestrial mammals. This is the first occurrence of the intensive use of marine resources, specifically marine mammals, that becomes even more pronounced in the subsequent Mesolithic period.

Citation

Richards, M., Jacobi, R., Cook, J., Pettitt, P., & Stringer, C. (2005). Isotope evidence for the intensive use of marine foods by Late Upper Palaeolithic humans. Journal of Human Evolution, 49(3), 390-394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.05.002

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Sep 1, 2005
Deposit Date Apr 6, 2009
Journal Journal of Human Evolution
Print ISSN 0047-2484
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 49
Issue 3
Pages 390-394
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.05.002
Keywords Diet, Stable isotopes, Upper palaeolithic, Collagen, Wales, Marine.