The Archaic Period Diet Preliminary Isotope Results from the Phaleron Burial Ground, Attica, Greece

Abstract

The recently excavated Phaleron Burial Ground in Attica, Greece, documents the lived experiences of Archaic period individuals (700–480 B.C.). In this study, we employ stable isotope analysis to infer temporal changes in dietary patterns for ancient Greece and to explore the dietary habits and social organization of adult individuals from the Phaleron Burial Ground (n = 60). Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of bone collagen and stable carbon isotopes of bone bioapatite are used to address two research questions: (1) Do stable isotopes reveal evidence of dietary change in ancient Greece over time? and (2) Is dietary variation between individuals buried in the Phaleron Burial Ground linked to burial form, chronology, skeletal sex, or age at death? Bone collagen carbon and nitrogen data were limited due to poor preservation (n = 4) and suggest a focus on C3 terrestrial resources. The bioapatite carbon data (n = 60) also indicate a diet primarily consisting of C3 terrestrial resources, although there is a significant increase in the consumption of C4 products in archaeological populations in Greece over time. Our results do not, however, suggest that there were significant differences in the whole diet at Phaleron according to burial form, chronology, skeletal sex, or age at death.