Previously to apply the analytical procedure for the NEOMEDIS project, it had been essential an initial assessment and a protocol optimisation of the CSIA-AA method (WP1) had been required as it constitutes one of the methodologies to build high-resolution palaeodietary reconstructions. CSIA-AA is a quite new methodology in archaeology and required some adjustments depending on the samples quality.
The appropriate material had been sampled to extract collagen for the isotopical analysis and selected to produce a complete CSIA-AA database (WP2). A complete control of what had to be analysed was essential due to the complexity of the methodology and the expensive analysis.
Measurements of fauna and plant baselines (WP3) had been carried out to create a correct baseline of faunal and plant remains to increase the study robusticity of the study with a reliable comparison of the values of the environment during the period of study.
The other robust baseline analysed, the Sulphur isotope analysis (δ34S) (WF4), offered to the study a robust baseline for marine resources adding more sensitivity and reliability when compared to the bulk isotope data (δ13C and δ15N) and δ13C and δ15N CSIA-AA data.
The WF5 was oriented to analyse the Neolithic human diet to obtain the results that helps us answer the objectives of the project. The stable isotope analysis of bone collagen is one of the most reliable tools to obtain population level, in depth, uniquely detailed dietary reconstructions. The inclusion of CSIA-AA and δ34S, not only complements the dietary reconstruction, but highly increases its resolution. After the deviations due to Covid-19, these analysis offered us a complete view not only of the importance of the marine diet to the first farmers, but also how the diet evolved over time in NE Iberia. To implement the interpretation of the results, NEOMEDIS integrated the results of the different stated methodologies using Bayesian mixing models (WF6).
These models offered us an estimation of the dietary contributions (e.g. marine protein, terrestrial carbohydrate, etc.) to finally have a complete view of the diet of the populations under study, and the socio-economic transformations occurred during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, the onset of farming, and the subsequent development of the farming strategies till the Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic.
The project included and ambitious strategy of dissemination both for academic and non-academic audiences (WF7). The NEOMEDIS results have been disseminated in academic context through different communications: in conferences (ENE2019, Current Approaches to Farming and Food Practices during Late Prehistory 2019, VII Congreso Internacional de Neolítico en la Península Ibérica 2020 [where the IF acted as organiser and chair of the session]); invited talks in United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. Publications on stable isotope analysis of the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic people in the NE Iberia are currently on preparation. The NEOMEDIS investigation has also been disseminated to a broader public through an interview for a national newspaper (Dirari Ara) and a radio interview (Radio Maricel), both in Spain and collaborated to disseminate cutting-edge science for non-academic audiences being part of the project "Raval és Ciència".
