Multi-isotopic study of diet and mobility in the northeastern Nile Delta

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• Kharobi, Arwa
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• Maaranen, Nina
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• Macpherson, Colin
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• Bietak, Manfred
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• Prell, Silvia
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• Schutkowski, Holger

Abstract

The origin of the Hyksos dynasty (c. 1638-1530 BCE) is thought to be rooted in the Near East given the architectural features and burial customs present at the site of Tell el-Dabca, identified as the capital of Hyksos rule in the Eastern Delta of Egypt. We expand previous 87Sr/86Sr research on the site's cemetery assemblage using a multi-isotopic methodology: oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13Ccarb) stable isotopes from the carbonate portion of tooth enamel (n = 75), along with collagen (δ13Ccoll, δ15N) analysis of dentine and bone (n = 31). Pairing δ18O with previous 87Sr/86Sr data identifies 60% of the cohort as non-locals (45/75). Although there were a greater proportion of non-local females (24/30, 80%) compared to males (10/20, 50%), there were no significant differences between the sexes in δ13Ccarb or δ18Ocarb values. There were no spatial patterns regarding the three cemetery sites, nor any observable patterns regarding where non-locals were interred in the largest excavated cemetery, Area A/II. Both first-generation immigrants and individuals from the northeastern Nile Delta were buried following elite Asiatic burial customs, suggesting continuation of foreign burial culture. All collagen showed poor preservation; δ13Ccoll and δ15N analysis were not possible. δ13Ccarb showed no significant difference between locals and non-local diet, although non-locals at Tell el-Dabca did eat a broader variety of foods as a group, suggested by a wider δ13Ccarb range (− 13.5 to − 9.6‰ in non-locals compared to locals' − 12.1 to − 10.3‰). If there is a difference in food culture between immigrants and native Egyptians, it was not observable using isotopic analyses.