_____ From: Mark Van Strydonck [mailto:mark.vanstrydonck@kikirpa.be] Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 2:23 AM To: pirwin@mail.utexas.edu Subject: stable isotopes.Oekraïne 31 August 2007 Dr. Adam Rabinowitz The Institute of Classical Archaeology The University of Texas at Austin 3926 W. Braker Lane, Ste. 1.406 Austin, TX 78759 USA Ref. : 2006.09223 Stable Isotopes Report Dear Dr. Rabinowitz, Herby the results the stable isotope measurements on the bones from the Chersonesos. CHERSONESOS (UKRAINE) d15N d13C C/N carp 1 8,32 -23,86 3,3 carp 2 9,39 -21,48 4,3 carp 3 8,59 -24,67 3,3 carp 4 8,77 -24,58 5,1 catfish 1 15,75 -17,08 3,3 catfish 2 10,41 -23,16 3,1 catfish 3 14,22 -18,53 3,7 cattle 1 6,79 -20,43 3,2 cattle 2 6,45 -20,60 3,2 cattle 4 6,10 -20,44 3,2 cattle 3 7,42 -19,61 3,2 dog 1 10,34 -18,18 3,1 dog 2 10,82 -18,15 3,3 dog 3 8,65 -17,05 3,3 dog 4 9,03 -18,20 3,1 goat 1 3,74 -20,12 3,2 goat 2 4,68 -20,64 3,2 goat 3 7,84 -18,62 3,2 goat 4 8,58 -20,08 3,2 horse1 5,65 -20,61 3,2 horse 2 4,85 -20,68 3,1 horse 3 4,60 -20,97 3,1 horse 4 5,97 -18,52 3,2 mullet 2 7,00 -6,02 3,6 mullet3 5,35 -5,68 3,2 pig 1 6,95 -19,03 3,2 pig 2 5,44 -20,89 3,2 pig 3 3,88 -19,47 3,2 pig 4 8,76 -18,41 3,2 ray 1 8,57 -15,77 3,4 ray 2 * * 8,0 ray 3 8,77 -16,06 3,4 ray 4 9,23 -17,81 3,7 sander 1 13,03 -20,82 3,2 sander 4 15,28 -17,92 3,5 shad 2 13,37 -11,57 3,3 sheep goat 1 6,90 -19,82 3,1 sheep 2 6,50 -18,90 3,2 sheep 3 6,79 -19,49 3,3 sheep 4 7,33 -19,71 3,1 sturgeon 1 8,51 -23,07 3,2 sturgeon 2 10,86 -21,02 3,4 sturgeon 3 10,62 -22,11 3,2 turbot 1 11,44 -16,04 3,4 turbot 2 10,72 -14,97 3,4 turbot 3 10,26 -17,30 4,0 turbot 4 12,60 -16,33 3,4 Remark: 1) Sander 3 didn’t yield a reliable measurement due to a too small sample. 2) The other samples, not mentioned in the table, didn’t yield any collagen. 3) Ray 2 has a C/N=8 and for archaeological bones this ratio should be below 3.6 (De Niro, 1985), while higher values of this ratio indicate humic intrusion. 4) Some C/N ratios are marked in yellow as their C/N is higher than 3.6 and indicates the presence of humic acids. Several samples of every specie were measured and the stable isotopes of the samples with a C/N higher than 3.6 are in agreement with the stable isotopes of the samples with a good C/N. The assumption is that the humic acids come from the humification of the bones and are not intrusive an had little or no influence on the stable isotope ratios. 5) Mullet 2 and Ray 4 were very small samples and only a standard correction was applied. Normally a blank correction applied on the samples as well as on the standards. But very small samples have low signal and the blank correction causes a big shift in the stable isotopes and yield bad results. Furthermore the results of the mullet samples are in agreement with other datasets. Bibliography De Niro, M.J.,985. Post-Mortem preservation and alteration of in vivo bone collagen isotope ratios in relation to palaeodietary construction, Nature, 317: 806-809. All the best, Mark Van Strydonck/Mathieu Boudin Royal Institute of Cultural Heritage C14-lab Jubelpark 1 1000 Brussel BELGIUM P.S.: this mail is confirmed by letter