Archaeology, Inequalities and DiEt (AIDE) : Archaeology assisted by stable isotopes

Project Information

AIDE

Grant agreement ID: 897565

DOI

10.3030/897565

Project closed

EC signature date 26 February 2020

Start date 2 August 2021

End date 21 September 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 180 369,60

EU contribution

€ 180 369,60

Coordinated by

INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHES ARCHEOLOGIQUES PREVENTIVES
France

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - AIDE (Archaeology, Inequalities and DiEt (AIDE) : Archaeology assisted by stable isotopes)

Reporting period: 2022-08-02 to 2023-08-01

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Research on social inequalities and their biological repercussions is at the heart of the human and social sciences. It has been established only very recently that the economic and social conditions of humans also strongly affect their health throughout their lives. At the beginning of the 21st century, the World Health Organization (WHO) Centre for Health sought to raise awareness among policymakers and public health professionals about social deciding factors of health. Social inequalities reflect lifestyles and have an inequitable impact on the health status of the individual's place in society. For example, the difference in life expectancy in France between managers and workers is currently 6 years, and even reaches 10 years when life expectancy without disability is considered. People at the bottom of the social ladder are at least twice as exposed to the risk of serious illness or premature death as those at the top. But what was the situation in ancient populations?

Whatever the period or geographical area considered, the subject is regularly debated by archaeologists and anthropologists. Since the economic and social environment of individuals has an impact on diet and health, the question of inequalities can be addressed using paleo-osteological data collected by archaeology. Currently, the development of preventive archaeology (development-led archaeology) on the French territory allows us to excavate, every year, thousands of human skeletons from all periods, real first-hand documents to understand, in a dynamic way, ancient ways of life. The comparison of data from osteometric and pathological observations or isotopic analyses of bone remains aims to characterize the health status of these societies. Hypotheses can then be formulated on the inequalities that they conveyed, and comparisons with contemporary societies are possible.

The AIDE project (Archaeology, Inequalities, and DiEt: Archaeology assisted by stable isotopes), developed under a Marie Sklodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship, proposes to work with amino acids from stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes extracted from archaeological skeletons to generate dietary profiles of past populations and observe potential inequalities. By working at the level of archaeological sites, hypotheses of socio-economic groups can be put forward and confronted with the results of isotopic analyses. The ultimate goal is to know if dietary markers are appropriate to observe inequalities, whatever the chronological period or the cultural environment.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

After a training period in the secondment (SFU, Burnaby, Canada), 114 samples (fauna, human bones and teeth) from 2 sites were processed (ancient: l'Hôtel-Dieu, Rennes, France and Neolithic: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, France) corresponding to 314 bulk δ13C, δ15N, δ34S analyses and 32 preparations for CSIA-AA. The bulks measurements were all performed on spectrometer. A collagen extraction protocol on teeth by age range at SFU was implemented, tested and validated. Various geostatistical tests were developed to work on the scale of the sites on the problems of social inequalities. They have been published in article 1 (combination of Moran Index and Heatmap). 2 other articles and a monograph have been published. A scientific blog and a twitter account have been regularly updated. A bulks isotopic database of δ13C and δ15N compiles 6847 adults and 455 chronological sites on a European scale.
In this second phase, progress in the AMSC-AIDE project continued, with a focus on identifying new aspects of social health inequalities. This led to new collaborations and publications. Ongoing activities, such as forming partnerships and conducting pilot studies, are on track and are now part of our core work. Additionally, the Neolithic site initiated in the first year was a basis for a regional grant application. Data from this site will be integrated into the thesis project related to AMSC-AIDE. Tasks from the first year were successfully completed, and our ongoing work is evolving. One of our deliverables (D: manuscript to La Découverte) on social health inequalities is now 80% complete, with an editorial review planned for this winter. Our findings were also submitted to scientific journals. These accomplishments are the result of a sustained, productive partnership among the three institutions within the AMSC-AIDE project. The outcomes of our work have been shared through various plateforms, including public conferences, radio broadcasts, press releases, social media, and scientific publications, reflecting our commitment to the AMSC-AIDE project's goal of investigating social inequalities in health through archaeological sources.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The geostatistical analysis shows the interest of studying the archaeological site because the funerary spaces reflect social inequalities. We find the same organizational patterns on the Jacobins convent in Rennes (France) by comparing the sanitary state. From an isotopic point of view, the subjects buried in the periphery are those with the least rich diet. The combination of these observations will serve as a basis for research conducted in the second year of the AIDE project. Indeed, by combining site-level statistics and including isotopic data quality parameters on the numerous bulk isotope data of δ15N in particular, an evolution of inequalities may be possible on a larger scale. To this goal, a highly selective database at the European scale is being compiled and will be used as a basis for modeling social inequalities over time.
During this second year, our work evolved towards a more global approach to social inequalities in health based on sick bodies, disability, and vulnerability. Diet as a key indicator of social health inequalities has also been particularly exploited by introducing an innovative approach. Thanks to the AMSC-AIDE project, European data from more than 320 publications as well as the CIMA and IsoArcH databases have been compiled with the aim of combining statistics from more than 470 European sites with quality isotope parameters, based on δ15N and δ13C bulk analyses. This approach lays the foundations for modeling social inequalities in terms of food over time. Initial results show that ancestral societies had minimal dietary disparities but significant evolution occurred during subsequent eras, such as the Roman, medieval and early modern periods, amplifying dietary disparities. Our analysis highlighted a non-linear progression, with the Bronze Age as a key moment when health inequalities saw an increase. In addition, gender disparities have emerged, with privileged groups still oriented towards a male predominance.
Our research offers rich and interesting insights into historical dynamics, diet allocation and gender roles, thereby enriching our understanding of cultural practices and historical contexts. These findings have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of health inequalities on a larger scale, paving the way for broader applications and greater implications for society and the economy. The societal benefits of our project aim to raise awareness of the importance of equality in health and to fuel public debate on health policies. The AMSC-AIDE project shows real potential to bring about positive changes in health and well-being, both on a socio-economic and societal level.

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