Reconstructing Late Bronze Age diet in mainland Greece using stable isotope analysis

The Late Bronze Age is a period of great importance in prehistoric Greece, due to the rise of the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations. Settlements, palatial complexes and cemeteries have been excavated whilst a plethora of findings among which wall paintings and artifacts provided a large amount of information regarding the period. In this paper we examine the sources of dietary protein of four populations, from mainland Greece, in light of documentary and archaeological evidence in an effort to identify dietary trends within and between groups that reflect everyday behavior. These are being studied with the aid of biomolecular archaeology using stable isotope analysis in human and faunal remains. Isotopic data to date suggests a rather homogeneous diet mainly based on C-3 plant and animal protein. There are no individuals with delta C-13 and delta N-15 values that could represent important marine protein intake, despite proximity to the Aegean Sea. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.