Rebuilding Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic lifeways using multi-isotope analyses of human enamel, dentine, and bone from the Legaire Sur passage tomb, Spain

The transition between the Late Neolithic and the Chalcolithic in northern
Spain was a period of profound social and economic change, defined by the
consolidation of the farming economy and a substantial increase in population and inequality. To comprehend how such socioeconomic shifts affected past populations, the application of multi-tissue, multi-isotope, and incremental sampling approaches can help to recreate these lifeways in great detail. This study combines multi-tissue sampling (bone collagen, tooth enamel, and dentine) with incremental sampling, to track age-related lifeway changes in 18 individuals from Legaire Sur, Álava (ca. 3400–2300 BC). 18O and 87Sr/86Sr variations from the enamel of serially forming molars (M1, M2, & M3) reveal that the majority of the population, when compared to the local baseline, has a childhood local to the monument (30km away from the site). One individual (ID:405), presents elevated 87Sr/86Sr and 18O values across all three teeth, indicating a childhood away from the rest of the burial location. Incremental 13C and 13C taken from the dentine of the successional molars also indicate homogeneity in childhood diet and weaning practices. However, again ID:405 presents a different childhood; a far longer breastfeeding signal
combined with a relatively depleted 13C profile. The adult diet profiles are all close clustering, indicative of terrestrial protein sources exploited within a similar landscape, with ID:405 adult profile now aligning closely with the rest of the population. The results provide a valuable insight into individual experiences with mobility, weaning, and diet in Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic northern Spain.