Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-lpg2g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-15T09:54:15.464Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Diet and status in Birka: stable isotopes and grave goods compared

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Anna Linderholm,
Charlotte Hedenstierna Jonson,
Olle Svensk and
Kerstin Lidén
Anna Linderholm
Affiliation:
*Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden (Email: Kerstin.liden@arklab.su.se)
Charlotte Hedenstierna Jonson
Affiliation:
*Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden (Email: Kerstin.liden@arklab.su.se)
Olle Svensk
Affiliation:
*Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden (Email: Kerstin.liden@arklab.su.se)
Kerstin Lidén
Affiliation:
*Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden (Email: Kerstin.liden@arklab.su.se)
Get accessRights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In this paper the authors investigate isotopic signatures of burials from the famous Viking period cemetery at Birka in Sweden, comparing their results on diet with the status and identities of individuals as interpreted from grave goods. These first observations offer a number of promising correlations, for example the shared diet of a group of women associated with trade, and a marine emphasis among men buried with weapons.

Keywords

BirkaVikingsdietstable isotopescarbonnitrogensulphur

Information

Type
Research article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 82 , Issue 316 , June 2008, pp. 446 - 461
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ambrose, S. H. 1993. Isotopic analysis of paleodiets– methodological and interpretive considerations, in Sanford, M. K. (ed.) Investigations of Ancient Human Tissue– Chemical Analyses in Anthropology (Food and Nutrition in History and Anthropology Series 10): 59–130. Langhorne (PA): Gordon & Breach.Google Scholar
Ambrosiani, B. 2002a. Birka im 10. Jahrhundert unter besonderer Berucksichtigung der Ostverbindungen, in Henning, J. (ed.) Europa im 10. Jahrhundert: Archaologie einer Aufbruchzeit: 227–35. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern.Google Scholar
Ambrosiani, B. 2002b. Osten und Westen im Osthandel zur Wikingerzeit, in Brandt, K., Muller-Wille, M. & Radtke, C. (ed.) Haithabu und die fruhe Stadtentwicklung imordlichen Europa: 339–48. Neumunster: Wachholtz.Google Scholar
Ambrosiani, B. 2005. Birka and Scandinavia's trade with the East, in Kovalev, R. & Sherman, H. (ed.) Festschrift 2 for Noonan, Thomas S., University of Minnesota (Russian History /Histoire Russe 32/3-4): 287–296. Pittsburgh (PA): University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh.Google Scholar
Andersson, K. 2006. Diet och identitet: Analyser av kol-kvave-och svavelisotoper p°a indivier fr°an det kristna senvikingatida gravf¨altet i Bj¨orned, Tors°akers socken,° Angermanland. Undergraduate dissertation, Stockholm University, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Archaeological Research Laboratory, available at. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-1142Google Scholar
Arbman, H. 1939. Birka: Sveriges aldsta handelsstad. Stockholm: Bokforlags aktiebolaget Thule.Google Scholar
Arbman, H. 1939. Birka: Sveriges äldsta handelsstad. Stockholm: Bokförlags aktiebolaget Thule.Google Scholar
Arbman, H. 1940. Birka I. Die Gräber (Tafeln). Stockholm: Royal Academy of History, Antiquity and Letters & Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell.Google Scholar
Arbman, H. 1943. Birka I. Die Gräber (Text). Stockholm: Royal Academy of History, Antiquity and Letters & Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell.Google Scholar
Arne, T. J. 1946. Birkagraven nr 632 och kejsar Theophilos' mynt. Fornvännen 4:216–32.Google Scholar
Barrett, J. H. & Richards, M. P.. 2004. Identity, gender, religion and economy: new isotope and radiocarbon evidence for marine resource intensification in early historic Orkney, Scotland, UK. European Journal of Archaeology 7:249–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrett, J. H., Beukens, R. P. & Nicholson, R. A.. 2001. Diet and ethnicity during the Viking colonization of northern Scotland: evidence from fish bones and stable carbon isotopes. Antiquity 75:145–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brady, N. C. & Weil, R. R.. 1999. The nature and properties of soil (12th edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Brown, T.A, Nelson, D. E., Vogel, J. S. & Southon, J. R.. 1988. Improved collagen extraction by modified Longin method. Radiocarbon 30:171–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chisholm, B. S. 1989. Variation in diet reconstructions based on stable carbon isotopic evidence, in Price, T. D. (ed.) The Chemistry of Prehistoric Human Bone: 10–37. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fennö Muyingo, H. 2000. Borgvallen II. Utvidgad undersökning av Borgvallen och underliggande grav 1997. Arkeologisk undersökning 1997. Stockholm: Stockholm University, Archaeological Research Laboratory.Google Scholar
Gräslund, A.-S. 1980. Birka IV. The Burial Customs. Stockholm: Royal Academy of History, Antiquity and Letters.Google Scholar
Gräslund, A.-S. 1989. Resultate der Birka-Forschung in den Jahren 1980 bis 1988: Versuch einer Auswertung, in Arwidsson, G. (ed.) Birka II/3: Systematische Analysen der Gräberfunde: 151–174. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell International.Google Scholar
Hägg, I. 1983. Birkas orientaliska praktplagg. Fornvännen 78: 204–20.Google Scholar
Hägg, I. 2003. Härskarsymbolik i Birkadräkten, in Hedeager, A. Krag (ed.) Dragt og magt: 15–27. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum.Google Scholar
Härke, H. 2000. Social analysis of mortuary evidence in German protohistoric archaeology. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 19: 369–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hedenstierna-Jonson, C. 2001. Befästa handelsstäder, garnisoner och professionella krigare, in Olausson, M. (ed.) Birkas krigare: 65–72. Stockholm: Stockholm University Archaeological Research Laboratory.Google Scholar
Hedenstierna-Jonson, C. 2006. The Birka Warrior: the material culture of a martial society (Theses and papers in scientific archaeology 8). Stockholm: Stockholm University.Google Scholar
Hedenstierna-Jonson, C. & Holmquist, L.Olausson. 2006. The Oriental Mounts from Birka's Garrison (Antikvariskt arkiv 81). Stockholm: Royal Academy of History, Antiquity and Letters.Google Scholar
Hedenstierna-Jonson, C. 2002. Patterns of settlement and defence at the proto-town of Birka, Lake Mälar, Eastern Sweden, in Jesch, J. (ed.) The Scandinavians from the Vendel period to the tenth century: an ethnographic perspective: 153–75. Woodbridge & San Marino: Boydell.Google Scholar
Holmquist Olausson, L. & Götherström, A.. 1998. Sex identification of a skeleton in a new chambergrave from Birka. Laborativ Arkeologi 10-11: 105–8.Google Scholar
Jansson, I. 1997. Warfare, trade or colonisation?, in Hansson, P. (ed.) The Rural Viking in Russia and Sweden: 9–64. Orebro: kommuns bildningsförvaltning.Google Scholar
Jay, M. & Richards, M. P.. 2006. Diet in the Iron Age cemetery population at Wetwang Slack, East Yorkshire, UK: carbon and nitrogen stable isotope evidence. Journal of Archaeological Science 33: 653–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kyhlberg, O. 1980. Helgöoch Birka: kronologisk-topografisk analys av grav-och boplatser. Stockholm: Stockholm University, Institute for Archaeology.Google Scholar
Liden, K. & Nelson, D. E.. 1994. Stable carbon isotopes as dietary indicator in the Baltic area. Fornvännen 89: 13–21.Google Scholar
Liden, K., Götherström, A. & Eriksson, G.. 1997. Diet, gender and rank. ISKOS 11: 158–64.Google Scholar
Linderholm, A., Liden, K., Mörth, M. & Richards, M. P.. n.d. A case study of stable isotopes (13C, 15N, 34S) on human and animal bones from the passage tomb at Rössberga central Sweden. Unpublished manuscript.Google Scholar
Lovell, N., Nelson, D. E. & Schwarcz, H. P.. 1986. Carbon isotope ratios in paleodiet: lack of sex or age effect. Archaeometry 28: 51–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muldner, G. & Richards, M. P.. 2005. Fast or feast: reconstructing diet in later medieval England by stable isotope analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 32: 39–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterson, R. W. & Fry, B.. 1987. Stable isotopes in ecosystem studies. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 18: 293–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Price, N. 2002. The Viking Way (AUN 31). Uppsala: Uppsala University, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History.Google Scholar
Privat, K. L., O'Connell, T. C. & Richards, M. P.. 2002. Stable isotope analysis of human and faunal remains from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Berinsfield, Oxfordshire: dietary and social implications. Journal of Archaeological Science 29: 779–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, M. P. & Hedges, R.E.M.. 1999. Stable isotope evidence for similarities in the types of marine foods used by Late Mesolithic humans at sites along the Atlantic coast of Europe. Journal of Archaeological Science 26: 717–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, M. P., Hedges, R.E.M., Molleson, T. I. & Vogel, J. C.. 1998. Stable isotope analysis reveals variations in human diet at the Poundbury camp cemetery site. Journal of Archaeological Science 25: 1247–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, M. P., Fuller, B. T. & Hedges, R.E.M.. 2001. Sulphur isotopic variation in ancient bone collagen from Europe: implications for human palaeodiet, residence mobility, and modern pollutant studies. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 191: 185–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, M.P., Fuller, B. T., Sponheimer, M., Robinson, T. & Ayliffe, L.. 2003. Sulphur isotopes in palaeodietary studies: a review and results from a controlled feeding experiment. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 13: 37–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, M.P., Fuller, B. T. & Molleson, T. I.. 2006. Stable isotope palaeodietary study of humans and fauna from the multi-period (Iron Age, Viking and Late Medieval) site of Newark Bay, Orkney. Journal of Archaeological Sciences 33:122–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sealy, J. 2001 Body tissue chemistry and palaeodiet, in Brothwell, D. R. & Pollard, A. M. (ed.) Handbook of Archaeological Sciences: 269–79. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Soloman, M., Raftner, T. A. & Dunham, K.. 1971. Sulphur and oxygen isotope studies in the northern Pennines in relation to ore genesis. Applied Earth Sciences 80B: 259–76.Google Scholar
Trust, B. A. & Fry, B.. 1992. Stable sulphur isotopes in plants: a review. Plant, Cell and Environment 15: 1105–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar