Determining vitamin D status in precontact Western Alaska: a new method for exploring past health and dietary adaptations to high-latitude living

确定阿拉斯加西部接触前的维生素 D 状态：探索过去健康状况和高纬度生活饮食适应的新方法

• 批准号: NE/X012980/1
• 负责人: Kate Britton
• 金额: $ 10.26万
• 依托单位: University of Aberdeen
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FX012980%2F1
• 关键词: Determining; vitamin; status; precontact; Western

This research will use newly-developed archaeological science approaches to target permafrost-preserved human hair from the precontact site of Nunalleq, Western Alaska (1450-1650 AD) in order to empirically-determine seasonal vitamin D status in an archaeological population for the first time. Vitamin D is essential for healthy skeletal growth and cardiovascular health, and deficiency is related to multiple diseases. The most important source of vitamin D in humans is ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced dermal (skin) synthesis of vitamin D3. However, at high latitudes, especially in winter, a lack of ultraviolet light of the appropriate wavelength leads to an increase in the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, and dietary supply or supplementation becomes essential - a major environmental challenge for past and present populations living at high-latitudes today, including in Western Alaska and in the UK. Using novel analytical technology, our aim is to determine vitamin D concentrations in archaeological hair strands preserved at the precontact site of Nunalleq and to compare these new data with existing seasonal palaeodietary data, allowing the relationship between vitamin D status and seasonal dietary habits to be inferred for different individuals at the site.Data generated will provide a baseline for the interpretation of modern and recent-historic (post-1960s) data concerning the relationship between contemporary vitamin D deficiency and consumption of traditional marine foods and allow us to explore the potential of this method in illuminating past human-environmental interactions and adaptations to high-latitude living. The outcomes of this project will lead to a better understanding of precontact lifeways, diet and health in Western Alaska. The results will also help define new pathways in the scientific investigation of ancient diet applicable to other archaeological sites and contexts and help forge new cross-disciplinary links between palaeodietary and palaeoenvironmental studies, and modern nutritional health research. Our results will also feed directly into ongoing public outreach initiatives centred around the Nunalleq site in the community of Quinhagak, Alaska (AK), including adding to an online Digital Museum and learning activities for local school children. These will enhance public understanding of vitamin D health, but will also enhance our understanding of the role of archaeo-health studies in reinforcing positive health practices today in Alaska and elsewhere.

这项研究将利用新开发的考古科学方法，以阿拉斯加西部努纳莱克（公元 1450-1650 年）接触前地点的永久冻土保存的人类头发为目标，以便首次凭经验确定考古群体中的季节性维生素 D 状态。维生素 D 对于健康的骨骼生长和心血管健康至关重要，缺乏维生素 D 与多种疾病有关。人类维生素 D 最重要的来源是紫外线 B (UVB) 诱导的真皮（皮肤）合成维生素 D3。然而，在高纬度地区，特别是在冬季，缺乏适当波长的紫外线会导致维生素 D 缺乏症的患病率增加，膳食供应或补充变得至关重要——这对生活在过去和现在的人口来说是一个重大的环境挑战。今天的高纬度地区，包括阿拉斯加西部和英国。我们的目标是利用新型分析技术确定努纳莱克接触前遗址保存的考古发丝中维生素 D 的浓度，并将这些新数据与现有的季节性古饮食数据进行比较，从而推断维生素 D 状态与季节性饮食习惯之间的关系生成的数据将为解释有关当代维生素 D 缺乏症与传统海洋食品消费之间关系的现代和近代历史（20 世纪 60 年代后）数据提供基线，并使我们能够探索这种方法在阐明过去人类与环境的相互作用和对高纬度生活的适应方面的潜力。该项目的成果将有助于更好地了解阿拉斯加西部接触前的生活方式、饮食和健康。研究结果还将有助于确定适用于其他考古遗址和环境的古代饮食科学研究的新途径，并有助于在古饮食和古环境研究以及现代营养健康研究之间建立新的跨学科联系。我们的研究成果还将直接用于以阿拉斯加州 Quinhagak 社区 Nunalleq 遗址为中心的持续公共外展活动，包括增加在线数字博物馆和为当地学童提供的学习活动。这些将增强公众对维生素 D 健康的了解，同时也将增强我们对古菌健康研究在加强当今阿拉斯加和其他地区积极健康实践方面的作用的理解。