| Abstract: |
Intrasocial variability in diet was explored for the Coner phase (A.D. 600-1250) Copan Maya using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratio measurements of the composition of human and faunal bone collagen. One hundred thirty-two samples with reliable age and sex identifications were analyzed. Well-preserved bone collagen was obtained and isotopic measurements were made for 90 human, 7 deer, and 1 jaguar representing 16 Coner phase sites in the Copan Valley. Bone collagen was extracted from ribs when available using hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide washes, followed by solubilizing in hot, weak acid. Preservation quality was determined by infrared spectra and dry weight percent. The Copan inhabitants based their diet on terrestrial plant sources with maize being the dominant staple. Deer and other meat sources were concluded to have been only occasional food items. Isotopic results show little input from $/rm C/sb3$-plants or sources depleted in $/rm /sp[13]C$ relative to maize. Adult diet probably ranged between 62% and 78% maize. For intrasocial dietary analysis, the results were grouped by sex, age-at-death, urban or nonurban site location, and social status as inferred from associated site type and grave type. Female adults showed a slightly less maize-based diet than male adults. Negligible dietary differences were observed by age for male adults. Regardless of age category, male adults have central carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of $-8.9/perthous$ and $7.5/perthous,$ respectively. Middle (35-50 years of age) and old aged (over 50 years of age) female adults typically showed $0.6/perthous$ more negative carbon isotopic values than young aged (20-34 years of age) female adults. Differences according to social status were mixed and partially dependent on how social rank was assigned. Statistically significant differences are observed between commoner and elite male adults, but not between commoner and elite female adults when rank was assigned according to site type. However, statistically significant differences were observed between low status and middle status female adults when social status was assigned according to grave type.
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