Diet, DNA, and the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Western Scotland
In this paper, we revisit the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in western Scotland and the links between early European farmers and middens in light of new aDNA, radiocarbon, and stable isotopic evidence. New carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic data for food sources (plant and animal remains) from a...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Humans |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/5/1/8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850203721242247168 |
|---|---|
| author | Catriona Pickard Elizabeth Greenberg Emma Smith Andy Barlow Clive Bonsall |
| author_facet | Catriona Pickard Elizabeth Greenberg Emma Smith Andy Barlow Clive Bonsall |
| author_sort | Catriona Pickard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper, we revisit the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in western Scotland and the links between early European farmers and middens in light of new aDNA, radiocarbon, and stable isotopic evidence. New carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic data for food sources (plant and animal remains) from a Mesolithic site are presented, and dietary FRUITS models are recalculated based on these data. We also respond to recent criticisms of the Bayesian approach to diet reconstruction. Results support the view that Neolithic people had at most a minimal contribution of marine foods in their diet and also point to a dual population model of transition in western Scotland. A significant aspect of the transition in coastal western Scotland is the co-occurrence of Neolithic human remains with shell-midden deposits, which appears to contradict stable isotopic evidence indicating a minimal contribution of marine resources to the diet of early farming communities in the region. Finally, we highlight the need for further research to fully address these issues, including (1) targeted isotopic analyses of potential plant and animal resources, (2) single-entity radiocarbon and ZooMS analyses of animal bones and artefacts from shell middens, and (3) further aDNA analyses of the remains of Late Mesolithic and Neolithic people. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4a06b47dfa9b4e48bff57141c2d94beb |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-9461 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humans |
| spelling | doaj-art-4a06b47dfa9b4e48bff57141c2d94beb2025-08-20T02:11:26ZengMDPI AGHumans2673-94612025-03-0151810.3390/humans5010008Diet, DNA, and the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Western ScotlandCatriona Pickard0Elizabeth Greenberg1Emma Smith2Andy Barlow3Clive Bonsall4School of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKSchool of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKSchool of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKSchool of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKSchool of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKIn this paper, we revisit the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in western Scotland and the links between early European farmers and middens in light of new aDNA, radiocarbon, and stable isotopic evidence. New carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic data for food sources (plant and animal remains) from a Mesolithic site are presented, and dietary FRUITS models are recalculated based on these data. We also respond to recent criticisms of the Bayesian approach to diet reconstruction. Results support the view that Neolithic people had at most a minimal contribution of marine foods in their diet and also point to a dual population model of transition in western Scotland. A significant aspect of the transition in coastal western Scotland is the co-occurrence of Neolithic human remains with shell-midden deposits, which appears to contradict stable isotopic evidence indicating a minimal contribution of marine resources to the diet of early farming communities in the region. Finally, we highlight the need for further research to fully address these issues, including (1) targeted isotopic analyses of potential plant and animal resources, (2) single-entity radiocarbon and ZooMS analyses of animal bones and artefacts from shell middens, and (3) further aDNA analyses of the remains of Late Mesolithic and Neolithic people.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/5/1/8dietstable isotopesaDNAMesolithicNeolithicwestern Scotland |
| spellingShingle | Catriona Pickard Elizabeth Greenberg Emma Smith Andy Barlow Clive Bonsall Diet, DNA, and the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Western Scotland Humans diet stable isotopes aDNA Mesolithic Neolithic western Scotland |
| title | Diet, DNA, and the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Western Scotland |
| title_full | Diet, DNA, and the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Western Scotland |
| title_fullStr | Diet, DNA, and the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Western Scotland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diet, DNA, and the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Western Scotland |
| title_short | Diet, DNA, and the Mesolithic–Neolithic Transition in Western Scotland |
| title_sort | diet dna and the mesolithic neolithic transition in western scotland |
| topic | diet stable isotopes aDNA Mesolithic Neolithic western Scotland |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/5/1/8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT catrionapickard dietdnaandthemesolithicneolithictransitioninwesternscotland AT elizabethgreenberg dietdnaandthemesolithicneolithictransitioninwesternscotland AT emmasmith dietdnaandthemesolithicneolithictransitioninwesternscotland AT andybarlow dietdnaandthemesolithicneolithictransitioninwesternscotland AT clivebonsall dietdnaandthemesolithicneolithictransitioninwesternscotland |