Comparing childhood and adulthood diets in a Viking Age population from the Lejasbitēni cemetery, Latvia: a pilot study

This study examines childhood and adulthood diets in selected individuals from the Iron Age Lejasbitēni cemetery population in Latvia (7th–10th centuries CE). Bone samples for isotope analysis were collected from 12 adult individuals; six had previously available isotope data from M1 root dentine. Bone samples from two non-adult individuals of the chronologically later Liv culture were included for preliminary comparison. Results showed that the Lejasbitēni bone carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) values were among the lowest in the region, suggesting a diet dominated by terrestrial C3-based resources with low-trophic-level animal protein. Unlike dentine data, bone δ15N values were not significantly different between gender groups, indicating a more homogeneous adulthood diet. Higher bone δ15N values were not always consistent with rich grave inventories, suggesting no clear correlation between social status and diet. Comparison of bone and dentine values revealed a statistically significant shift towards lower δ15N and higher δ13C values in adulthood compared to childhood, indicating significant dietary change across the life course. Four out of five individuals with usable isotope data from both tissues showed a decrease in δ15N values, and all five showed an increase in δ13C values between childhood (dentine) and adulthood (bone), respectively. These results represent only a small group, and further research is necessary to explore childhood-to-adulthood dietary transitions and links between access to resources and grave goods in the Lejasbitēni population.