Keywords
Carbon, Egypt, Stable Isotopes, Juvenile, Diet
Abstract
Using stable carbon isotope analysis, this study investigates dietary diversity in children buried at the Kellis 2 Cemetery (c. AD 50–450) in Egypt's Dakhleh Oasis. From the analysis of δ¹³C isotope values in hair keratin and bone collagen, the study reconstructs short-term and long-term dietary signals in juvenile and adult subjects. The aim is to clarify the role of C₄ plants—particularly millet—in weaning and childhood diets in a Romano-Christian Egyptian village context. A total of 631 segmented hair and 54 bone collagen samples were analyzed from 127 juveniles and 97 adults. Juvenile individuals (i.e., under 15 years biological age) showed greater C₄ dietary contribution compared to adults, with the highest values observed among toddlers (1–3 years), young children (3–7 years), and older children (7–12 years). Segmented hair sample integration allowed intra-individual analysis for consistency and episodic dietary change before death. Bone collagen data supported the results from hair analysis, with similarly elevated C₄ intake in juveniles and minimal sex-specific dietary differences in adults.
This thesis advances previous work at Kellis 2 by combining multi-tissue isotopic analysis with demographic and paleopathological data. It addresses under-researched variability in infant weaning strategy, age-structured diet composition, and stress-induced physiological outcomes in children, including scurvy. Results support the interpretation that millet was a prominent food component in weaning and early childhood and suggest C₄ intake was consistently high across the population. This research provides a new contribution to the knowledge of juvenile diet in Roman Egypt and illustrates the potential of individualized, multi-scalar isotopic approaches in bioarcheology. By integrating cultural, environmental, and physiological frameworks, the study offers an advanced model of diet and caregiving among a typically underrepresented group of the ancient population.
Thesis Completion Year
2025
Thesis Completion Semester
Summer
Thesis Chair
Williams, Lana
College
College of Sciences
Department
Anthropology
Thesis Discipline
Anthropology
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Hendrix, Faith R., "Role Of C4 Resources In Isotopic Variability In Diet Among Children From Kellis 2 Cemetery, Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt" (2025). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 372.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/372
Included in
Applied Statistics Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons
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