Abstract
The aim of this work was to analyse the diet of a Merovingian population sample of 80 individuals buried at Norroy-le-Veneur, France, with regard to their social status and chronology. A carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of human adult bone collagen and related fauna from the same cemetery showed a diet based primarily on C-3 plants, supplemented with animal protein in a range comparable to other contemporary sites.
No significant contribution of C-4 plants (e.g. millet) or marine-derived protein was detected. In terms of socio-economic stratification, individuals buried with rich grave good assemblages formed a narrow group with a significantly higher mean of delta C-13 than low-ranking individuals.
We argue that this may represent a step in the gradual formation of the dietary exclusivity of Frankish elites, following a progressive rise in power of the Merovingian nobility. Also, during the timespan of the cemetery there was a population-wide decrease of 0.3 parts per thousand in the mean value of delta C-13.
The role of the Christian conversion of the population is questioned, but another factor influencing diet might have played a role.