UC San Diego

Archaeology in Mesopotamia has a long history, with over a century of fieldwork having been undertaken to better understand this important region. The present work discusses the opening of a new chapter in Mesopotamian archaeology : the introduction of paleodiet reconstruction through the analysis of stable isotopes in human skeletal materials. To date, little, if any published research has ever been done that utilizes this method in the study of Mesopotamia, which is particularly unfortunate in light of the fact that stable isotope analysis has been an important and successful means of acquiring valuable information about other ancient societies. In this paper, I will briefly sketch several areas of study in the archaeology of Mesopotamia during the Third Millennium BCE, wherein the application of paleodiet reconstruction might be particularly illuminating, and could effectively supplement existing archaeological and linguistic data to further our understanding of a number of social, economic, and political processes that took place during that period. I will address the prospects for stable isotope analysis in relation to long-distance exchange of perishable commodities and elite self-aggrandizement through feasting. I will show in this assessment that, while there are very real political and practical hindrances that must be surmounted to achieve successful results with this technique, there is every reason to believe that these obstacles can be navigated successfully, and that the inclusion of stable isotope analysis in Mesopotamian archaeological study can only be of great benefit of the archaeological community as a whole