Biol Trace Elem Res. 1997 Winter; 59(1-3): 207-13.

Paleodietary analysis on the prehistoric population of El Hierro (Canary Islands).

Velasco-VÃ¡squez J, Arnay-de-la-Rosa M, GonzÃ¡lez-Reimers E, HernÃ¡ndez-Torres O.

Department de Ciencias HistÃ³ricas, Universidad de Las Palmas.

In order to deepen our knowledge of the dietary habits of the prehispanic inhabitants of El Hierro, we have determined bone strontium (Sr), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and calcium (Ca) in 52 human tibiae (23 belonging to male and 20 to female individuals) buried in a single burial cave; in 21 modern individuals who served as controls; and in 11 bones of herbivores found at archeological sites of the Canary Islands. Results suggest that females consumed a more vegetarian diet, although site-corrected Sr/Ca ratio of both males and females speaks for a mixed-diet consumption.