Stories behind the fortress: Stable isotope analysis and 14C dating of soldiers' remains from the Bayanbulag site, Mongolia.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of 15 individuals buried closed to Bayanbulag site or the Shouxiangcheng fortress in southern Mongolia revealed complex dietary features. Only one individual had a diet similar to that of the pastoral population in northern China, while the others, who had varying carbon isotope values and low nitrogen values, might have been from different agricultural areas. 14C dating results suggest that the earliest interment could be much earlier than the building of Shouxiangcheng fortress recorded in Han texts. Analysis of the burial arrangement further confirmed that these deceased were not buried at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]