Ame Garong
Food and water resources in prehistoric Philippines
ABSTRACT
Stable carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes of human remains are effective tools for dietary reconstruction and for understanding the interaction between environment and culture in the past. This study was the first attempt to apply the δ13C and δ15N of bone collagen, and δ18O and δ13C of tooth enamel carbonate, to the skeletal remains from the Philippines, measured from about 98 skeletal remains collected from six burial sites. The analyzed material represent an extensive range in ages from 2,000 BP to 18th century AD of Philippine archaeology from different geographical locations from north to south of the Philippines.
This study was able to trace the different food strategies employed by ancient Filipino for their subsistence. Despite the introduction of rice cultivation in the late Neolithic period in the Philippines, Filipino utilized many types of food items most of them dependent on C3 plant (Calvin-Benson photosynthetic pathways) ecosystem and domesticated pig and chicken as protein resources. On the other hand, variations of δ18O values were large and successive sampling of molar teeth revealed seasonal variation due to possible practice of storing water in jars. The δ18O values generally appeared as a south to north cline that is consistent to the latitude trend of δ18O of meteoric water in the Philippines with exception with the relatively low value in the Kabayan site which is situated in higher altitude.
This study was able to trace the different food strategies employed by ancient Filipino for their subsistence. Despite the introduction of rice cultivation in the late Neolithic period in the Philippines, Filipino utilized many types of food items most of them dependent on C3 plant (Calvin-Benson photosynthetic pathways) ecosystem and domesticated pig and chicken as protein resources. On the other hand, variations of δ18O values were large and successive sampling of molar teeth revealed seasonal variation due to possible practice of storing water in jars. The δ18O values generally appeared as a south to north cline that is consistent to the latitude trend of δ18O of meteoric water in the Philippines with exception with the relatively low value in the Kabayan site which is situated in higher altitude.