EXAMINING CHRONOLOGICAL TRENDS IN ANCIENT MAYA DIET AT MINANHA, BELIZE, USING THE STABLE ISOTOPES OF CARBON AND NITROGEN

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelyn S. Williams ◽  
Shannen M. Stronge ◽  
Gyles Iannone ◽  
Fred J. Longstaffe
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Ancient Maya ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

We present the results of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of bone collagen and bone bioapatite from the ancient Maya center of Minanha, Belize (ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 1260). The purpose of this research was to reconstruct diet and investigate the influence of sociopolitical and environmental factors. Overall, diet was relatively stable over time, with maize being a staple in all periods. Maize consumption reached its peak in the transitional Early to Middle Classic periods and decreased over time. When isotope data from dry periods were compared to normal periods, there were no significant differences, although comparisons of isotope data by burial location and type suggest that the apical or ruling elite consumed a more diverse diet, with more animal protein, relative to the lesser elites. The temporal variability in maize consumption seems best explained by sociopolitical factors documented at Minanha and within the Vaca Plateau. This study demonstrates the resilience of ancient subsistence practices in the face of climatic instability and highlights the impact that social and political factors can have on diet and subsistence economy.

scholarly journals Late Holocene spread of pastoralism coincides with endemic megafaunal extinction on Madagascar

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1955) ◽  
pp. 20211204
Author(s):  
Sean W. Hixon ◽  
Kristina G. Douglass ◽  
Brooke E. Crowley ◽  
Lucien Marie Aimé Rakotozafy ◽  
Geoffrey Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Zebu Cattle ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Exotic Animals ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
Introduced Herbivores

Recently expanded estimates for when humans arrived on Madagascar (up to approximately 10 000 years ago) highlight questions about the causes of the island's relatively late megafaunal extinctions (approximately 2000–500 years ago). Introduced domesticated animals could have contributed to extinctions, but the arrival times and past diets of exotic animals are poorly known. To conduct the first explicit test of the potential for competition between introduced livestock and extinct endemic megafauna in southern and western Madagascar, we generated new radiocarbon and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from the bone collagen of introduced ungulates (zebu cattle, ovicaprids and bushpigs, n = 66) and endemic megafauna (pygmy hippopotamuses, giant tortoises and elephant birds, n = 68), and combined these data with existing data from endemic megafauna ( n = 282, including giant lemurs). Radiocarbon dates confirm that introduced and endemic herbivores briefly overlapped chronologically in this region between 1000 and 800 calibrated years before present (cal BP). Moreover, stable isotope data suggest that goats, tortoises and hippos had broadly similar diets or exploited similar habitats. These data support the potential for both direct and indirect forms of competition between introduced and endemic herbivores. We argue that competition with introduced herbivores, mediated by opportunistic hunting by humans and exacerbated by environmental change, contributed to the late extinction of endemic megafauna on Madagascar.

Diet and subsistence mode of Neolithic Yuan-Shan people in Taiwan: Perspective from carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of bone collagen

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 18-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Yi Lee ◽  
Maa-Ling Chen ◽  
Peter Ditchfield ◽  
Li-Hung Lin ◽  
Pei-Ling Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Isotope Analyses

scholarly journals Diet uniformity at an early farming community in northwest Anatolia (Turkey): carbon and nitrogen isotope studies of bone collagen at Aktopraklık

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2123-2135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Budd ◽  
Necmi Karul ◽  
Songül Alpaslan-Roodenberg ◽  
Alfred Galik ◽  
Rick Schulting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Farming Community ◽  
Early Farming ◽  
Isotope Studies

Carbon and nitrogen isotope signals in eel bone collagen from Mesolithic and Neolithic sites in northern Europe

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 2003-2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Robson ◽  
Søren Andersen ◽  
Oliver Craig ◽  
Anders Fischer ◽  
Aikaterini Glykou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen

How ‘Best’ to Determine Trophic Levels in Archaeological Agricultural Communities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Reynard
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Trophic Level ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Agricultural Communities ◽  
Plant Remains ◽  
Isotope System

Stable isotope ratios of bone collagen have been used to determine trophic levels in diverse archaeological populations. The longest established and arguably most successful isotope system has been nitrogen, followed by carbon, and more recently hydrogen. These trophic level proxies rely on a predictable change in isotope ratio with each trophic level step; however, this requirement may not always be met, which can lead to difficulties in interpreting archaeological evidence. In agricultural communities, in particular, there are several possible complications to the interpretation of nitrogen and carbon isotopes. Recent approaches to overcome these limitations include better quantification and understanding of the influences on consumer isotope ratios; inclusion of evidence from plant remains; further investigation of apatite δ13C—collagen δ13C spacing in bones; measurement of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in individual amino acids, rather than collagen; and development of other stable isotope proxies for trophic level, such as hydrogen isotopes.

scholarly journals PROBLEMS OF TAX RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

2021 ◽  
pp. 188-200
Author(s):  
Anton SHEVCHUK
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
The State ◽  
Business Climate ◽  
State Budget ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Tax Revenues ◽  
The Face ◽  
Tax Benefits ◽  
The Impact

Introduction. The theoretical bases of tax risks are considered and the author's approach to interpretation of their essence is offered. The directions of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on tax revenues to the State Budget of Ukraine have been studied and the factors of intensification of tax risks have been determined. On this basis, scientifically sound recommendations for improving the management of tax risks in Ukraine in the economic crisis. The purpose of the article is to study the areas of intensification of tax risks in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of scientifically sound proposals for improving the management of tax risks in the face of new challenges for fiscal authorities. Results. The main directions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tax revenues to the State Budget of Ukraine are assessed. It is proved that the manifestations of the economic crisis are the main factors of intensification of tax risks in Ukraine, which are expressed in significant losses of budget revenues. Ways to optimize the mechanism of VAT refunds and directions of audit of tax benefits in order to minimize tax risks are proposed. The mechanisms of obligatory fiscalization of micro and small business settlements through the introduction of registrars of settlement operations on favorable terms for business owners without the need to hire additional employees are outlined. Possibilities of realization of the project of electronic customs as one of elements of creation of a positive business climate and minimization of tax risks are considered. Perspectives. Promising areas of research may be the study of psychological, administrative, technological, political factors of tax risks in Ukraine.

Stable Isotope Evidence for Maize Horticulture and Paleodiet in Southern Ontario, Canada

1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Anne Katzenberg ◽  
Henry P. Schwarcz ◽  
Martin Knyf ◽  
F. Jerome Melbye
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
North America ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Nitrogen Isotopes ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
Animal Protein ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Isotope Data

This paper reports new data on stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes obtained from human skeletal remains found at six prehistoric sites dating between A.D. 400 and 1500 in southern Ontario. Analyses examine more closely the timing and intensity of maize adoption and the importance of animal protein in the diet, adding to earlier work in the region by the same authors (Schwarcz et al. 1985). As a result of changes in preferred methods of extracting bone collagen, a comparison of extraction methods is presented. Results indicate a gradual increase in the importance of maize in the diet over a period of approximately 600 years, from A.D. 650 to 1250, and little change in nitrogen isotope values during the same period. The results are considered within the larger temporal and geographical framework of eastern North America, drawing on stable isotope results from the published literature. Both paleobotanical and isotope data indicate marked differences in the timing and intensity of maize utilization in different regions of northeastern North America. Nitrogen isotope values decrease after around A.D. 1350, suggesting a decrease in animal protein in the diet. Stable isotope data provide one source of evidence for changes in human subsistence patterns and their interpretation relies on complementary data from sources such as the analysis of faunal and botanical remains, settlement patterns, and material culture.

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