Aztec diets at the residential site of San Cristobal Ecatepec through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bon
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(2020) 12:216
ORIGINAL PAPER
Aztec diets at the residential site of San Cristobal Ecatepec through stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bone collagen Diana K. Moreiras Reynaga 1,2
&
Jean-François Millaire 1
&
Raúl E. García Chávez 3 & Fred J. Longstaffe 4
Received: 27 March 2020 / Accepted: 5 August 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract This paper presents the first systematic study of Aztec diets using bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. The objective was to identify the dietary patterns of an Aztec community living in the Basin of Mexico. The collection analyzed includes adult and subadult skeletons from the residential site of San Cristóbal Ecatepec (in present-day Mexico State) (A.D. 900–1521). The isotopic data were compared with available ethnohistoric and archeological information about Aztec diets. We conclude that Ecatepec residents consumed mostly C4 and CAM plants (as opposed to C3 plants), terrestrial animals, and some lacustrine resources. They shared similar diets and foodways, as indicated by the fact that they belonged to the same socioeconomic group and that there were no substantial sex-based differences indicated by the isotopic data. The slightly higher carbon isotope compositions of the men compared with the women could be evidence of pulque consumption by the men—as noted in the ethnohistoric record. The nitrogen isotope compositions of the subadults, however, show some variability related to breastfeeding and weaning practices, with infants weaning between 2 and 4 years of age. Keywords Aztec diets . Ecatepec . Paleodiet . Stable isotope analysis . Carbon and nitrogen isotopes . Bone collagen
Introduction The application of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human skeletons has been a powerful tool for gaining insights into Mesoamerican foodways and paleodiets. Previous studies include the Maya region (e.g., Metcalfe et al. 2009; Powis et al. 1999; Tykot 2002; White and Schwarcz 1989; Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-020-01174-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Diana K. Moreiras Reynaga [email protected]; [email protected] 1
Department of Anthropology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
2
Department of Anthropology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
3
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Toluca, Mexico State, Mexico
4
Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
White et al. 1993, 2001) and Central Mexico at the Classic period site of Teotihuacan (Casar et al. 2017a, b; Morales Puente et al. 2012; Nado et al. 2017; White et al. 2004a, b). In the case of the Aztecs, most of the evidence about their diets and foodways has been provided by ethnohistoric, iconographic, and archeological records. Direct evidence of Aztec diets via stable isotope analyses of human skeletons has been lacking. Th
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