Down To The Bone: Transforming Isotope Analysis Through The Temporal Investigation Of Human And Animal Bone

深入骨骼：通过人类和动物骨骼的时间研究改变同位素分析

• 批准号: 2885554
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2885554
• 关键词: Down; Bone; Transforming; Isotope; Analysis

Stable isotope analysis is a ubiquitous research application in archaeology with stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes being routinely used to reveal the dietary ecology of past human societies. However, surprisingly little is known of the temporal resolution surrounding it and, over time, pitfalls have appeared in the traditional bulk method currently utilised. This project will address the issue of temporality through empirical evidence of metabolic sequencing within a single section of bone to eliminate the use of multiple elements, reducing the destruction of finite archaeological material. This will provide guidance for sampling strategies and archaeological interpretations globally, and substantially improve ethical considerations and data yield when sampling skeletal material. Current methods used to elucidate dietary biographies in past civilisations require several skeletal elements per individual to capture dietary signals for different time periods due to our understanding of bone metabolism and its variation between elements. However, this results in multiple elements being partially destroyed and the validity of comparing different bones of differing functions has been scrutinised (e.g., Fahy et al. 2017). Meanwhile, research suggests that temporal variability exists within the same skeletal element (e.g., Matsubayashi and Tayasu 2019; Matsuo et al. 2019). Thus, this project will explore the potential for a new single-element method, where multiple successive samples are taken along the growth axis of one bone (following Matsubayashi and Tayasu 2019), multiplying archaeological information whilst minimising destruction. The humerus and the femur are the two elements under investigation, due to their robust nature and cortical thickness. Adjacent to human remains, large domestic fauna will be similarly studied, to explore husbandry practices at a higher temporal resolution. The effect of mechanical loading will also be examined by observing and comparing trends in metabolism in the upper limb bones between bipeds (humans) and quadrupeds (fauna). Biochemical variation will be examined by carbon and nitrogen isotope values between multiple successive segments. Paired with histomorphometric applications including osteon population density, this will establish a temporal resolution across the sampled transect. Statistical analyses will reveal the relationships between the different lines of evidence, predominantly the relationship between remodelling rates, isotope values and respective bone segments. The potential for advancement in the research using other scientific applications will also be assessed (e.g, proteomics, compound-specific isotope analysis).Objectives- To better understand intra-element variation in cortical bone remodeling and how this impacts isotope values.- To create a holistic study of bone remodelling variation within human cortical bone using histomorphometric techniques to establish a metabolic chronology.- To revisit assemblages where multiple-element isotope analysis was carried out to compare the lines of evidence.- Examine the validity of using segmental bone collagen analysis on faunal remains to make inferences on husbandry techniques.- To provide guidance for new sampling strategies to address specific archaeological questions on life histories, cultural or social shifts, and interpretations of past diets and reduce the destructive impact on archaeological remains.Establishing the metabolic chronology of cortical bone has the potential to reform how isotope analysis of archaeological remains is carried out. With the ever-increasing amount of analyses being undertaken, it is vital that our sampling is better informed and that we can understand the timescale that we are analysing. In introducing a novel sampling strategy where multiple time averages can be collected from just a single element, I hope to refine both our technical and ethical standards for archaeological science

稳定同位素分析是考古学中普遍存在的研究应用，稳定碳和氮同位素通常用于揭示过去人类社会的饮食生态。然而，令人惊讶的是，人们对其周围的时间分辨率知之甚少，并且随着时间的推移，目前使用的传统批量方法中出现了陷阱。该项目将通过在单个骨骼部分内进行代谢测序的经验证据来解决时间性问题，以消除多种元素的使用，减少对有限考古材料的破坏。这将为全球采样策略和考古学解释提供指导，并大大提高骨骼材料采样时的伦理考虑和数据产量。由于我们对骨代谢及其元素之间差异的理解，当前用于阐明过去文明饮食传记的方法需要每个人有多个骨骼元素来捕获不同时间段的饮食信号。然而，这导致多个元素被部分破坏，并且比较不同功能的不同骨骼的有效性已经受到审查（例如，Fahy 等人，2017）。同时，研究表明同一骨骼元素内存在时间变异性（例如，Matsubayashi 和 Tayasu 2019；Matsuo 等人 2019）。因此，该项目将探索一种新的单元素方法的潜力，即沿着一根骨头的生长轴采集多个连续样本（遵循 Matsubayashi 和 Tayasu 2019），增加考古信息，同时最大限度地减少破坏。肱骨和股骨由于其坚固性和皮质厚度而成为正在研究的两个元素。在人类遗骸附近，还将对大型家养动物进行类似的研究，以更高的时间分辨率探索畜牧实践。还将通过观察和比较两足动物（人类）和四足动物（动物群）上肢骨骼的新陈代谢趋势来检查机械负荷的影响。将通过多个连续片段之间的碳和氮同位素值来检查生化变化。与包括骨群密度在内的组织形态测量应用相结合，这将建立整个采样横断面的时间分辨率。统计分析将揭示不同证据之间的关系，主要是重塑率、同位素值和各自骨段之间的关系。还将评估使用其他科学应用进行研究的潜力（例如蛋白质组学、化合物特异性同位素分析）。目标 - 更好地了解皮质骨重塑的元素内变化以及这如何影响同位素值。 - 创建使用组织形态计量学技术对人类皮质骨内的骨重塑变化进行整体​​研究，以建立代谢年代学。-重新审视进行多元素同位素分析的组合，以比较证据。- 检查对动物遗骸使用分段骨胶原分析的有效性，以对畜牧技术进行推断。- 为新的采样策略提供指导，以解决有关生活史、文化或社会转变以及对过去饮食和社会的解释的具体考古问题。减少对考古遗迹的破坏性影响。建立皮质骨的代谢年代学有可能改革考古遗迹同位素分析的方式。随着分析数量的不断增加，我们的抽样必须更加了解情况并且能够了解我们正在分析的时间范围，这一点至关重要。通过引入一种新颖的采样策略，可以从单个元素中收集多个时间平均值，我希望完善我们的考古科学的技术和道德标准