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

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