Limited research has assessed the lived experiences of juveniles during the Nubian Meroitic Period (300 BCE–350 CE). Therefore, the focus of this research is to examine dietary patterns throughout development of elite juveniles from Sai Island, Sudan to identify if dietary variations exist that may be a result of social identity differences within the juvenile population. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses of tooth dentin from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd molars of 11 adult individuals interred at cemetery 8-B-52.B are utilized to examine diet throughout the life course. As each tooth corresponds to a different developmental stage, the dietary patterns from the entirety of juvenile life can be examined via a longitudinal approach. Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests did not reveal statistically significant differences in isotopic values between the sexes or molar types. The individual data trends, however, suggest there are differences in dietary patterns between sexes and molar types.
A Levene’s homoscedasticity test found a statistically significant difference in nitrogen isotopic values between sexes (p = 0.02), indicating a dissimilarity in nitrogen variation between males and females. Carbon isotopic trends suggest that during juvenile life, individuals are primarily consuming either C3 or a mixture of C3 and C4 resources. Overall, the results reveal that disparate variations exist in dietary patterns between sexes during development. Males are observed to have substantially more variation in carbon and nitrogen isotopic values, indicating access to a wider variety of resources than females during development. Once individuals reach adulthood, males and females appear to consume more homogenous diets. This research is important as it demonstrates how juvenile life history can be analyzed in the absence of juvenile skeletal remains that are typically not preserved in bioarchaeological assessments.
Outline of Studies:
Major: Anthropology
Educational Career:
B.S., 2021, University of Central Florida
Committee in Charge:
Dr. Tosha L. Dupras, Chair
Dr. John J. Schultz, Co-Chair
Dr. Sandra Wheeler
Approved for distribution by Dr. Tosha L. Dupras, Committee Chair, on 3/22/2023.
The public is welcome to attend.
Read More