A "futuristic" Beaker People Project

[Pippyn]

I've just read a piece in BA (Jul/Aug 2008 pp26)about the Beaker People Project and it set me thinking...

If (hypothetically) archaeologists were to do a similar Project (in analysing the carbon and nitrogen 'signatures' from bone collagen and tooth enamel to deduce what people ate and where they lived) on todays average British person, what would they conclude?

I ask this in respect of the fact the vast majority of us shop in supermarkets, eating spinach from Israel, apples from Brazil and lamb from New Zealand on a day to day basis. In addition to that is processed ready meals and GM food. What kind of crazy signature would that give?

All right, I understand that they probably WOULD know that we imported stuff via aeroplane from all around the world, but let's pretend for a minute that they didn't, and they're going soley from the burial record, just as the Beaker Project is. What would the archaeologists of the future hypothesise about us?

[hm]

"Kids, go get a proper job and don't take mine" - Derek Alexander

[Oxbeast]

Hopefully my collagen would show that I try to avoid anything Israeli.

I suppose from the amount of meat consumed by most people, an archaeologist might conclude that there was constant feasting, probably ritual.

[historic building]

You could probably work that our simply by looking at the larger scale of transport and processing facilities based upon the oil economy now that enable us to live in massive scale towns across the world.

No need to drill into teeth.

[oldgirl]

quote:Originally posted by Pippyn

All right, I understand that they probably WOULD know that we imported stuff via aeroplane from all around the world, but let's pretend for a minute that they didn't, and they're going soley from the burial record, just as the Beaker Project is. What would the archaeologists of the future hypothesise about us?

[hm]

"Kids, go get a proper job and don't take mine" - Derek Alexander

Or perhaps that we lived on Panagea? [:o)]