IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
Even though many isotopic studies have been conducted on ancient populations from Greece for the ... more Even though many isotopic studies have been conducted on ancient populations from Greece for the purpose of dietary reconstruction; mostly through carbon and nitrogen isotopic signals of bone collagen, less attention has been given to the utility of apatite signatures (oxygen and carbon) as dietary and palaeoenvironmental tools. Moreover, until recently the isotopic signal of tooth enamel for both the purposes of environmental and dietary reconstructions has been rarely assessed in ancient Greek societies. Therefore, the present study aims to provide with novel isotopic information regarding Edessa; a town in Northern Greece, during the Roman period. The current study primarily aims to explore the possible differentiation between the present climatic conditions in Edessa in relation to those occurring at the Roman period. Secondly, this study aims to reveal the significant utility of enamel isotopic signatures (carbon and oxygen) in palaeoenvironmental and palaeodietary studies regarding ancient human remains. The isotopic analyses have been conducted at the Stable Isotope and Radiocarbon Unit of INN, NCSR " Demokritos ". The population of Roman Edessa (2nd-4th c. AD) consists of 22 individuals, providing with 19 bone samples and 16 enamel ones. The mean enamel oxygen value is at-7.7 ±1.1 ‰, the bone apatite mean oxygen value at-9.2 ±1.9 ‰, and finally the mean carbon enamel value is at-11.7 ±1.2 ‰. Oxygen values probably indicate that Edessa had a cooler climate during the Roman times in relation to present conditions, even though more research should be carried out in order to be more certain. In addition, the possible existence of non-local individuals has been revealed through the oxygen teeth enamel-bone apatite spacing. Finally, the carbon enamel signature has pointed out possible differentiations between the adult and the juvenile diet. Based on Edessa's findings, the stated study strongly encourages the enamel oxygen and carbon isotopic signals as palaeoclimatological and palaeodietary tools respectively.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the key quality characteristics of olive oil with a mai... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the key quality characteristics of olive oil with a main focus on the biophenolic content, its beneficial effects on health and the contribution of various quality characteristics to its health claims, as well as its influence from various parameters. Samples from different traditional oil-producing regions of Greece were initially examined for the most important quality parameters, such as the percentage of free acidity, the number of peroxides and the spectrophotometric investigation in the ultraviolet. The samples were then tested for their biophenolic content, expressed in milligrams of tyrosol, and its derivatives per 20 g of olive oil using the analytical technique high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Then, the biophenol contents of the analyzed samples were compared based on the presented intensities in terms of the variety and the area of cultivation, the altitude, the type of cultivation, the extraction system in the mill ...
In recent years, isotopic analysis has been proven a valuable tool for the determination of the o... more In recent years, isotopic analysis has been proven a valuable tool for the determination of the origin of various materials. In this article, we studied the 18O and 13C isotopic values of 210 olive oil samples that were originated from different regions in Greece in order to verify how these values are affected by the climate regime. We observed that the δ18O isotopic values range from 19.2 ‰ to 25.2 ‰ and the δ13C values range from −32.7 ‰ to −28.3 ‰. These differences between the olive oils’ isotopic values depended on the regional temperature, the meteoric water, and the distance from the sea. Furthermore, we studied the 13C isotopic values of biophenolic extracts, and we observed that they have same capability to differentiate the geographic origin. Finally, we compared the isotopic values of Greek olive oils with samples from Italy, and we concluded that there is a great dependence of oxygen isotopes on the climatic characteristics of the different geographical areas.
In this article we present an isotopic analysis of human bone collagen (δ13Ccol, and δ15Ncol) and... more In this article we present an isotopic analysis of human bone collagen (δ13Ccol, and δ15Ncol) and bone apatite (δ13C) for diet reconstruction, as well as δ18Oap of human bone apatite for climate reconstruction, using samples from Northern Greece. Radiocarbon dating analysis was conducted on three of the Agras samples and the results (from 1000 to 800 BC) correspond to the Early Iron Age. Isotopic values for δ13Ccol range from −20.5‰ to −16‰ and for δ15Ncol from 6‰ to 11.1‰—a strong indication of a C3-based diet, with contributions by C4 and freshwater fish elements. The results were compared to the ones from Roman Edessa, and Alexandreia (a contemporary city near Edessa), as well as to other Early Iron sites in Greece and wider Europe. In general, the results from Agras are in good agreement with the results from Northern Greece, with the exception of the Makriyalos site, and are quite close to those of Croatia’s and Hungary’s sites. Additionally, from the δ18Oap results we calculat...
L'une des principales causes de dereglement du geothermometre isotopique sulfate aqueux-eau, ... more L'une des principales causes de dereglement du geothermometre isotopique sulfate aqueux-eau, fonde sur la thermodependance de la repartition des isotopes de l'oxygene dans ces deux composes a l'equilibre, est la participation de solutions marines aux fluides issus des systemes geothermaux. Cette participation doit donc etre identifiee et, si possible, quantifiee des que l'on tente d'estimer les temperatures des reservoirs geothermiques a l'aide de ce geothermometre. Les marqueurs naturels, d'origine marine, chimiques et isotopiques, ont ete utilises dans ce but sur 14 sites selectionnes en grece, conjointement au geothermometre isotopique sulfate-eau et aux geothermometres chimiques les plus usites. L'emploi de ces marqueurs, en particulier #1#8o(h#2o), #2h(h#2o), #3#4s(so#4#2#) et br#/cl#, rend possible l'identification des apports marins dans les systemes geothermaux cotiers et insulaires. Meme si cette identification ne resout pas tous les prob...
In this study a methodology for identifying the geographic origin of unidentified persons, their ... more In this study a methodology for identifying the geographic origin of unidentified persons, their residence and moving patterns while providing information on lifestyle, diet and socio-economic status by combining stable isotopic data, with the biological information (isotopic composition of the skeleton), is presented. This is accomplished by comparing the oxygen isotopic composition of the spring water that individuals were drinking, during their living period, with the oxygen isotopic composition of their tooth enamel bioapatite. Spring water and teeth samples were collected from individuals from three different areas of Greece: North Greece, Central Greece and South Greece and isotopic analysis of δ13C and δ18O of tooth enamel bioapatite and δ18O of spring water were conducted. For these three areas the isotopic methodology is a promising tool for discriminating the provenance. Furthermore, as a case study, this methodology is applied to two archeological sites of Greece (Medieva...
Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 2004
In order to understand the hydrogeochemical conditions of the basin of Pikrolimni we collected wa... more In order to understand the hydrogeochemical conditions of the basin of Pikrolimni we collected water samples from the borehole in the thermal spa of Pikrolimni and samples of brine and sediments from the lake. We also sampled fresh water of the region. The depth of the borehole in the thermal spa is approximately 250 meters. This water is naturally sparkling, with a metallic aftertaste and a slight organic smell. The samples were taken twice during the year: in summer (8/2002) and in winter (2003). The analytical scheme includes field measurements of temperature, conductivity and pH. Major ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2\ CI", Br, S04 2", C03 2", HC03", N03"), F and Br were determined, in laboratory, according to standard analytical methods. Samples were also subjected to isotopie analysis of δ Ο and δ2Η. The results from the chemical analyses of the samples, show that the waters taken from the borehole, are of the type Mg- (Na-Ca)-HCC>3 and the salts of the lak...
Samples of mortars were collected from lime and hydraulic mortars affected by environmental degra... more Samples of mortars were collected from lime and hydraulic mortars affected by environmental degradation. A total of 63 samples were obtained from Hellenistic, Late Roman and Byzantine historic constructions located at Kavala, Drama and Makrygialos in North Greece. Samples were collected in sections from the surface up to 6 cm deep using a drill-core material. The first sample was collected from the external layer, while the internal samples were collected each 1cm beeper from the previous, in order to monitor the moisture ingress. Isotopic data will make it possible to create an ideal Hellenistic and Byzantine mortar layer and to provide weathering gradients. The isotopic values comprise a range of δ13C and δ18O values from −17.1‰ to 1.2‰ and −25.9‰ to −2‰, respectively. The weathering process of Hellenistic and Byzantine are expressed, by the regression lines δ18Ocalcite matrix = 0.6 × δ13Ccalcite matrix − 1.9 and δ18Ocalcite matrix = 0.6 × δ13Ccalcite matrix − 2.0 for hydraulic an...
In this paper, we study δ15N enrichment as an indicator not only of marine protein diet, but also... more In this paper, we study δ15N enrichment as an indicator not only of marine protein diet, but also of climate change. The slope of the variation of δ15N with precipitation was calculated equal to 0.38/100 mm of precipitation for Greek plants, 0.38/100 mm of precipitation for herbivores, and 0.32/100 mm of precipitation for the Greek human population (hair samples). As a case study, the slope was used to re-evaluate the published mean δ15N human bone collagen values from the Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age for 22 archaeological sites. The results indicate that climate has a significant impact on the final δ15N values of plant and animal tissues. Furthermore, for the same sites, we investigated the intra-site diet patterns, while taking into account the environmental effect on the observed δ15N human bone collagen values.
We review the stable isotopic data of recovered Greek bones from the Early Neolithic to the Late ... more We review the stable isotopic data of recovered Greek bones from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze period in order to examine dietary changes over time. As an isotopic baseline we use the published fauna data of the periods. The analysis revealed a diet that included a significant proportion of foods based on C3 plants, and the bulk of the animal protein must have been provided by terrestrial mammals with a small but detectable proportion of marine protein for coastal and island populations. A more significant contribution of marine protein is observed for Bronze Age populations while the enrichment in both C and N isotopes is connected, for some areas, to the introduction of millet during the Bronze Age, and to freshwater consumption. An extensive database of Greek food sources is presented and compared to the fauna from the prehistoric periods (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age) of the literature. We propose that this database can be used in palaeodiet reconstruction studies.
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
Even though many isotopic studies have been conducted on ancient populations from Greece for the ... more Even though many isotopic studies have been conducted on ancient populations from Greece for the purpose of dietary reconstruction; mostly through carbon and nitrogen isotopic signals of bone collagen, less attention has been given to the utility of apatite signatures (oxygen and carbon) as dietary and palaeoenvironmental tools. Moreover, until recently the isotopic signal of tooth enamel for both the purposes of environmental and dietary reconstructions has been rarely assessed in ancient Greek societies. Therefore, the present study aims to provide with novel isotopic information regarding Edessa; a town in Northern Greece, during the Roman period. The current study primarily aims to explore the possible differentiation between the present climatic conditions in Edessa in relation to those occurring at the Roman period. Secondly, this study aims to reveal the significant utility of enamel isotopic signatures (carbon and oxygen) in palaeoenvironmental and palaeodietary studies regarding ancient human remains. The isotopic analyses have been conducted at the Stable Isotope and Radiocarbon Unit of INN, NCSR " Demokritos ". The population of Roman Edessa (2nd-4th c. AD) consists of 22 individuals, providing with 19 bone samples and 16 enamel ones. The mean enamel oxygen value is at-7.7 ±1.1 ‰, the bone apatite mean oxygen value at-9.2 ±1.9 ‰, and finally the mean carbon enamel value is at-11.7 ±1.2 ‰. Oxygen values probably indicate that Edessa had a cooler climate during the Roman times in relation to present conditions, even though more research should be carried out in order to be more certain. In addition, the possible existence of non-local individuals has been revealed through the oxygen teeth enamel-bone apatite spacing. Finally, the carbon enamel signature has pointed out possible differentiations between the adult and the juvenile diet. Based on Edessa's findings, the stated study strongly encourages the enamel oxygen and carbon isotopic signals as palaeoclimatological and palaeodietary tools respectively.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the key quality characteristics of olive oil with a mai... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the key quality characteristics of olive oil with a main focus on the biophenolic content, its beneficial effects on health and the contribution of various quality characteristics to its health claims, as well as its influence from various parameters. Samples from different traditional oil-producing regions of Greece were initially examined for the most important quality parameters, such as the percentage of free acidity, the number of peroxides and the spectrophotometric investigation in the ultraviolet. The samples were then tested for their biophenolic content, expressed in milligrams of tyrosol, and its derivatives per 20 g of olive oil using the analytical technique high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Then, the biophenol contents of the analyzed samples were compared based on the presented intensities in terms of the variety and the area of cultivation, the altitude, the type of cultivation, the extraction system in the mill ...
In recent years, isotopic analysis has been proven a valuable tool for the determination of the o... more In recent years, isotopic analysis has been proven a valuable tool for the determination of the origin of various materials. In this article, we studied the 18O and 13C isotopic values of 210 olive oil samples that were originated from different regions in Greece in order to verify how these values are affected by the climate regime. We observed that the δ18O isotopic values range from 19.2 ‰ to 25.2 ‰ and the δ13C values range from −32.7 ‰ to −28.3 ‰. These differences between the olive oils’ isotopic values depended on the regional temperature, the meteoric water, and the distance from the sea. Furthermore, we studied the 13C isotopic values of biophenolic extracts, and we observed that they have same capability to differentiate the geographic origin. Finally, we compared the isotopic values of Greek olive oils with samples from Italy, and we concluded that there is a great dependence of oxygen isotopes on the climatic characteristics of the different geographical areas.
In this article we present an isotopic analysis of human bone collagen (δ13Ccol, and δ15Ncol) and... more In this article we present an isotopic analysis of human bone collagen (δ13Ccol, and δ15Ncol) and bone apatite (δ13C) for diet reconstruction, as well as δ18Oap of human bone apatite for climate reconstruction, using samples from Northern Greece. Radiocarbon dating analysis was conducted on three of the Agras samples and the results (from 1000 to 800 BC) correspond to the Early Iron Age. Isotopic values for δ13Ccol range from −20.5‰ to −16‰ and for δ15Ncol from 6‰ to 11.1‰—a strong indication of a C3-based diet, with contributions by C4 and freshwater fish elements. The results were compared to the ones from Roman Edessa, and Alexandreia (a contemporary city near Edessa), as well as to other Early Iron sites in Greece and wider Europe. In general, the results from Agras are in good agreement with the results from Northern Greece, with the exception of the Makriyalos site, and are quite close to those of Croatia’s and Hungary’s sites. Additionally, from the δ18Oap results we calculat...
L'une des principales causes de dereglement du geothermometre isotopique sulfate aqueux-eau, ... more L'une des principales causes de dereglement du geothermometre isotopique sulfate aqueux-eau, fonde sur la thermodependance de la repartition des isotopes de l'oxygene dans ces deux composes a l'equilibre, est la participation de solutions marines aux fluides issus des systemes geothermaux. Cette participation doit donc etre identifiee et, si possible, quantifiee des que l'on tente d'estimer les temperatures des reservoirs geothermiques a l'aide de ce geothermometre. Les marqueurs naturels, d'origine marine, chimiques et isotopiques, ont ete utilises dans ce but sur 14 sites selectionnes en grece, conjointement au geothermometre isotopique sulfate-eau et aux geothermometres chimiques les plus usites. L'emploi de ces marqueurs, en particulier #1#8o(h#2o), #2h(h#2o), #3#4s(so#4#2#) et br#/cl#, rend possible l'identification des apports marins dans les systemes geothermaux cotiers et insulaires. Meme si cette identification ne resout pas tous les prob...
In this study a methodology for identifying the geographic origin of unidentified persons, their ... more In this study a methodology for identifying the geographic origin of unidentified persons, their residence and moving patterns while providing information on lifestyle, diet and socio-economic status by combining stable isotopic data, with the biological information (isotopic composition of the skeleton), is presented. This is accomplished by comparing the oxygen isotopic composition of the spring water that individuals were drinking, during their living period, with the oxygen isotopic composition of their tooth enamel bioapatite. Spring water and teeth samples were collected from individuals from three different areas of Greece: North Greece, Central Greece and South Greece and isotopic analysis of δ13C and δ18O of tooth enamel bioapatite and δ18O of spring water were conducted. For these three areas the isotopic methodology is a promising tool for discriminating the provenance. Furthermore, as a case study, this methodology is applied to two archeological sites of Greece (Medieva...
Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 2004
In order to understand the hydrogeochemical conditions of the basin of Pikrolimni we collected wa... more In order to understand the hydrogeochemical conditions of the basin of Pikrolimni we collected water samples from the borehole in the thermal spa of Pikrolimni and samples of brine and sediments from the lake. We also sampled fresh water of the region. The depth of the borehole in the thermal spa is approximately 250 meters. This water is naturally sparkling, with a metallic aftertaste and a slight organic smell. The samples were taken twice during the year: in summer (8/2002) and in winter (2003). The analytical scheme includes field measurements of temperature, conductivity and pH. Major ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2\ CI", Br, S04 2", C03 2", HC03", N03"), F and Br were determined, in laboratory, according to standard analytical methods. Samples were also subjected to isotopie analysis of δ Ο and δ2Η. The results from the chemical analyses of the samples, show that the waters taken from the borehole, are of the type Mg- (Na-Ca)-HCC>3 and the salts of the lak...
Samples of mortars were collected from lime and hydraulic mortars affected by environmental degra... more Samples of mortars were collected from lime and hydraulic mortars affected by environmental degradation. A total of 63 samples were obtained from Hellenistic, Late Roman and Byzantine historic constructions located at Kavala, Drama and Makrygialos in North Greece. Samples were collected in sections from the surface up to 6 cm deep using a drill-core material. The first sample was collected from the external layer, while the internal samples were collected each 1cm beeper from the previous, in order to monitor the moisture ingress. Isotopic data will make it possible to create an ideal Hellenistic and Byzantine mortar layer and to provide weathering gradients. The isotopic values comprise a range of δ13C and δ18O values from −17.1‰ to 1.2‰ and −25.9‰ to −2‰, respectively. The weathering process of Hellenistic and Byzantine are expressed, by the regression lines δ18Ocalcite matrix = 0.6 × δ13Ccalcite matrix − 1.9 and δ18Ocalcite matrix = 0.6 × δ13Ccalcite matrix − 2.0 for hydraulic an...
In this paper, we study δ15N enrichment as an indicator not only of marine protein diet, but also... more In this paper, we study δ15N enrichment as an indicator not only of marine protein diet, but also of climate change. The slope of the variation of δ15N with precipitation was calculated equal to 0.38/100 mm of precipitation for Greek plants, 0.38/100 mm of precipitation for herbivores, and 0.32/100 mm of precipitation for the Greek human population (hair samples). As a case study, the slope was used to re-evaluate the published mean δ15N human bone collagen values from the Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age for 22 archaeological sites. The results indicate that climate has a significant impact on the final δ15N values of plant and animal tissues. Furthermore, for the same sites, we investigated the intra-site diet patterns, while taking into account the environmental effect on the observed δ15N human bone collagen values.
We review the stable isotopic data of recovered Greek bones from the Early Neolithic to the Late ... more We review the stable isotopic data of recovered Greek bones from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze period in order to examine dietary changes over time. As an isotopic baseline we use the published fauna data of the periods. The analysis revealed a diet that included a significant proportion of foods based on C3 plants, and the bulk of the animal protein must have been provided by terrestrial mammals with a small but detectable proportion of marine protein for coastal and island populations. A more significant contribution of marine protein is observed for Bronze Age populations while the enrichment in both C and N isotopes is connected, for some areas, to the introduction of millet during the Bronze Age, and to freshwater consumption. An extensive database of Greek food sources is presented and compared to the fauna from the prehistoric periods (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age) of the literature. We propose that this database can be used in palaeodiet reconstruction studies.
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