Compiled dataset of published δ13C values to: The initial pathways of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) into Europe based on AMS dates and stable carbon isotope data

Résumé fourni par la source

This dataset encompasses published δ13C values from human and animal skeletal remains, including data from both collagen and apatite, which were used in the paper by Karanikola, Depaermentier et al. entitled "The initial pathways of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) into Europe based on AMS dates and stable carbon isotope data" to consider the chronological depth of the earliest potential millet introduction into human or animal diet within several regions of Eastern/Central Europe. Isotope data were collected until January 2026 from the literature (see references listed in the dataset) using open access online databases such as IsoArch, the North Central Asia isotopic database, and the North-Eastern Europe and Northern Asia isotopic dataset of bioarchaeological samples (NEENA), datasets from previous large-scale reviews, and original literature. This represents a total of 3512 individuals (and five population means), including 1358 animals and 2213 humans. In total, 3350 entries represent collagen data and 815 are apatite data. Multiple apatite entries often belong to the same animal, due to micro-sampling. They were not averaged, as they represent different moments of dietary intake and are not replicates of a single sample. 62 human individuals provided data from both collagen and apatite. The dataset covers a wide geographical area spanning from the Carpathian Basin (n=64 entries), to the the Caucasus (n=1067 entries), including also Anatolia (n=256 entries), Southeastern Europe / the Balkans (n=1457 entries), and the Pontic steppe (n=1035 entries). Data from neighbouring regions were included for comparison, such as the Eastern Caspian coast (n=22 entries), the Caspian lowland desert (n=16 entries), Western Russia (n=77 outside the actual research area), the northern Near East (n=90 entries), and Northwestern Ukraine (n=39 entries). A total of 271 archaeological sites are included within this sample. The core of the samples were collected for the period between 2200/2000 and 1200 BCE. This period was targeted due to the expected chronology derived from previous archaeobotanical and isotopic research coupled to radiocarbon dates. Data from the earliest phase of this period, e.g. 2200-1700 BCE, were particularly collected in order to verify the absence of millet in human or animal diets before the expected dates. The research area moreover includes regions in which factors other than millet can increase the δ13C values of body tissues, e.g. the availability of wild C4 plants, the access to marine food, and/or arid conditions. Carbon isotope data from periods that surely predate the arrival of millet (c. 6000 to 2000 BCE) were therefore added to the dataset to assess the potential isotopic impact of these other factors in each region.

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