February 14, 2015

The Diet of 2000 Year Old Individuals in Peru Has Been Uncovered.

University of Arizona researchers are using bioarchaeology and biogeochemistry to study the diets of 14 individuals dating back almost 2,000 years. They are studying mummies from the Paracas Necropolis of Wari Kayan. Using hair samples, they found what these individuals ate near the time of their deaths. They ate primarily marine products, maize and beans. The mummies were discovered in 1927 in seated positions, wrapped in bundles of textiles. The researchers plan to do more isotopic analysis of other mummies to build their understanding.

Phys.org has the report here;

http://phys.org/news/2015-02-isotopic-analysis-explore-ancient-peruvian.html

And the full technical research report is online for free at the Journal of Archaeological Science,

authors.elsevier.com/a/1QWlU15SlTUSMo