All things bright: copper grave goods and diet at the Neolithic site of Osłonki, Poland

Abstract

Understanding socioeconomic inequality is fundamental for studies of societal development in European prehistory. This article presents dietary (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) isotope values for human and animal bone collagen from Early Neolithic Osłonki 1 in north-central Poland ( c. 4600–4100 cal BC). A new series of AMS radiocarbon determinations show that, of individuals interred at the same time, those with copper artefacts exhibit significantly higher δ 13 C values than those without. The authors’ results suggest a link between high-status goods and intra-community differences in diet and/or preferential access to the agropastoral landscape.