North Central Asia isotopic database for archaeological samples

R Smithers; A R Ventresca Miller; R Fernandes

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2024.110032

North Central Asia isotopic database for archaeological samples

Data Brief. 2024 Jan 6:53:110032. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110032. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Authors

R Smithers¹, A R Ventresca Miller^{2

3

4}, R Fernandes^{4

5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Archaeology, University of York, Kings Manor, York, UK.
² Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, MI, United States.
³ Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, MI, United States.
⁴ Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany.
⁵ Department of Bioarchaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland.
⁶ Masaryk University, Arne Faculty of Arts, Nováka 1, 602 00, Brno-střed, Czech Republic.
⁷ Princeton University, Climate Change and History Research Initiative, Princeton, USA.

Abstract

The North Central Asia Isotopic Database (NCAID) is an open-access dataset of stable isotope measurements from archaeological remains, spanning from the Early Neolithic until present-day in North Central Asia. With 3,143 individual entries corresponding to data accumulated over more than 20 years of research, this comprehensive dataset encompasses measurements of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in organic fractions from archaeological humans, animals, and plants. NCAID incorporates diverse supporting information, providing geographical information, archaeological context descriptions, and chronology. This resource facilitates research into past human lifeways, paleo-environments/climates, and animal management practices throughout North Central Asia and will be continually updated as more novel data is released.

Keywords: Archaeology; Bioarchaeology; Central Asia; Collagen; Isotopes.