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The Paleolithic diet of Siberia and Eastern Europe: evidence based on stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in hominin and animal bone collagen

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Abstract

We present an analysis and interpretation of current knowledge on Paleolithic diet in Siberia and Eastern Europe, based on C and N stable isotope ratios in bone collagen of the pre-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and LGM hominins: three Neanderthals; one possible Denisovan; a Neanderthal/Denisovan hybrid; and 13 early anatomically modern humans (AMH). We used animal stable isotope information for Siberia obtained previously to establish the baselines for hominins; this is supplemented by stable isotope values for large mammals from the central West Siberian Lowland which were the probable sources of protein for Paleolithic humans in this region (first of all, the oldest directly radiocarbon-dated Ust’-Ishim AMH in Asia). A comparison of results on Paleolithic hominin diet from Siberia and Eastern Europe with Central Europe was also undertaken. The Neanderthal diet in Siberia was based on the consumption of terrestrial animal protein. As for the Neanderthal/Denisovan hybrid from Denisova Cave (Altai Mountains, southern Siberia), the contribution of aquatic food like freshwater fish can be preliminarily suggested. Overall, Paleolithic AMHs in Siberia and Eastern Europe procured mainly terrestrial herbivores—in particular, reindeer, horse, and bison. It is possible that some of the oldest AMH individuals—like Kostenki 1—supplemented their diet with a certain amount of aquatic food (freshwater fish).

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Museum of the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology (Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Yekaterinburg), Mr. Aleksander S. Golubev (Ust’-Ishim, Omsk Province) and Mr. Nikolai V. Peristov (Omsk) for providing some of the samples used in this paper. We also thank two anonymous reviewers and an Associated Editor for useful comments and notes related to the previous version of this paper.

Funding

The study was funded by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RNF), Project No. 20–17–00033.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia

    Yaroslav V. Kuzmin

  2. Omsk Branch of the Russian Geographical Society, Omsk, Russia

    Aleksei A. Bondarev

  3. Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    Pavel A. Kosintsev

  4. Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Elya P. Zazovskaya

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  1. Yaroslav V. Kuzmin
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Contributions

YV Kuzmin: conceptualization, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, writing-original draft, writing review and editing. AA Bondarev: investigation, formal analysis, methodology, writing-original draft. PA Kosintsev: investigation, formal analysis, methodology, writing-original draft. EP Zazovskaya: investigation, formal analysis, providing lab equipment and materials, writing-original draft.

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Correspondence to Yaroslav V. Kuzmin.

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Kuzmin, Y.V., Bondarev, A.A., Kosintsev, P.A. et al. The Paleolithic diet of Siberia and Eastern Europe: evidence based on stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in hominin and animal bone collagen. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 13, 179 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01439-5

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