High‐resolution compound‐specific δ15N isotope dietary study of humans from the Scottish Mesolithic and Neolithic

A groundbreaking isotopic study of Neolithic humans from Orkney reveals that some individuals continued to consume aquatic resources despite the broader dietary shift toward terrestrial foods. This finding challenges previous assumptions based on bulk collagen analysis, which often overlooks low-level marine contributions. The research employed compound-specific δ15N isotope analysis (CSIA-AA), a novel approach for Scottish material, to distinguish direct marine consumption from other sources of elevated nitrogen isotopes, such as seaweed or marine-influenced animals. By analyzing samples from one Late Mesolithic and five Neolithic sites, the study highlights the complexity of reconstructing past diets and underscores the importance of high-resolution isotopic techniques in archaeology.

Martinoia, V., Craig, O. E., Charlton, S., Britton, K., Sheridan, A., Bones, A., Talbot, H., MacDonald, R., & Richards, M. (2025). High‐resolution compound‐specific δ¹⁵N isotope dietary study of humans from the Scottish Mesolithic and Neolithic. Archaeometry, 67(5), 1309–1326. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13089