Isotopic Analysis on Human Skeletons from Prehistoric Sites and Recent Bunun Population of Taiwan

Abstract

The subsistence history of ancient and aboriginal Taiwanese was investigated by isotopic analysis on human skeletal collection which stores at the College of Medicine, National Taiwan University. Nineteen samples of Bunun population and 21 samples from 8 prehistoric sites were analyzed and all Bunun and 7 prehistoric remains produced carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios in bone collagen. Nitrogen isotopic ration in Bunun skeletons showed higher values, suggesting consumption of some amount of inland-water fish as a part of their protein source, although the ethnographers had reported some Bunun villagers had exploited only little or no fish. On the other hand, materials from prehistoric sites showed much wider variability. These suggested the subsistence change could be very drastic in time and space in Taiwan.