Sources of Stable Isotope Variation in Archaeological Dog Remains

Assessment of the δ 15N ratios and δ 13C isotope values of archaeological dog and human bone collagen, ethnoarchaeological dog bone collagen, and ethnoarchaeological dog and human hair protein demonstrates that these tissues can be used to show subtle differences in diet between households at the same site. While δ 13C isotope values for dog and human bone and hair protein can be used as evidence of C4 photosynthetic plant foods, it is not necessarily an accurate measure for the presence or absence of maize in the diet. Less than 50% of the ethnoarchaeological dog and human samples from households that consumed an average of 0.01 kg of maize per day, had δ 13C isotope values greater than −19%.