Paleoamerican Diet, Migration and Morphology in Brazil: Archaeological Complexity of the Earliest Americans
2011
Paleoamerican Diet in Brazil
Sample size: 1
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Eggers Sabine, Parks Maria, Grupe Gisela, Reinhard Karl J.
Hypothesis
What was the dietary pattern of the earliest Americans in Brazil?
Conclusion
The study reveals that Luzio, the oldest excavated sambaqui dweller, had a diet primarily based on terrestrial resources rather than marine ones.
Supporting Evidence
- Luzio's bones were well preserved, allowing for stable isotopic analysis of diet.
- Stable carbon isotope ratios confirm that Luzio subsisted on C3 plant and animal resources.
- Isotopic analysis suggests that Luzio consumed mainly terrestrial foods, with little evidence of marine resources.
Takeaway
A long time ago, a man named Luzio lived in Brazil and mostly ate plants and animals from the land, not from the sea.
Methodology
Stable isotopic analysis of diet was performed on well-preserved skeletal remains.
Limitations
The study is based on a single skeleton, which may not represent the entire population's diet.
Participant Demographics
Luzio, a male skeleton dated to approximately 10,180 - 9,710 years before present.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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