Work

Detecting social differences in diet in medieval towns: isotopic evidence from Cambridge, England, c. AD 940–1538

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen can reveal aspects of diet and how this may change between periods and places. Here, the authors apply a ‘whole-town’ approach to isotopic analysis, to characterise and explore variation in diet within medieval Cambridge and its hinterland. By adopting this approach, and a robust isotopic baseline, the authors argue that the number of confounding variables that typically plague archaeometric research are reduced, allowing for more nuanced interpretation of data. For medieval Cambridge, this nuance comes in the form of inter-site comparisons in the lived experience of social differentiation.

Source: Antiquity

DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2026.10284

Authors: Alice K. Rose, John Robb, Craig Cessford, Sarah A. Inskip, Mary Price, Tamsin C. O’Connell

Institutions: University of Cambridge, University of York, University of Leicester

Language: English

Topic: Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

Subfield: Paleontology

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550

Funders: Wellcome Trust, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge