Dr. Andrea Waters-Rist is going to start the second day of our workshop. Her presentation is included in the session generically called “growth, metabolic conditions and stable isotopes”.
Dr. Andrea Waters-Rist is an osteoarchaeologist specialized in the subfields of paleonutrition, stable isotopes, paleopathology, dental anthropology, and juvenile osteology. She did her MA and PhD degrees in the University of Calgary, Canada. Her research focuses on the interplay of health and diet, particularly in the context of breastfeeding and weaning practices of past populations. She worked on skeletal collections from many areas of the world, including Siberia, The Netherlands, Central America, and Canada. You can see her profile here http://archaeology.leiden.edu/organisation/staff/waters.html
Title of the talk : “Stable Isotope Analysis of Diet in Past Populations: Delving into the Interplay of Dietary Choices, Growth Patterns, and Health Outcomes.”
Focus of the Talk: Our dietary choices have a huge effect on our health, and the same was true in the past. Growth and development, as well as several metabolic conditions and diseases, are strongly linked to diet. Stable isotope analysis of bones and teeth from ancient humans allows for the reconstruction of many dietary variables, information which can then be linked to growth and pathology outcomes to better understand the biocultural adaptations of past populations. Finally, research into the effect that growth and certain diseases may have on stable isotope values improves the accuracy with which we can deduce dietary behaviours.

A few publications relevant to Dr. Waters-Rist’s presentation are listed below:
2014. Waters-Rist A.L., Faccia K., Lieverse A., Bazaliiskii V.I., Katzenberg M.A., Losey R.J. Multicomponent analyses of a hydatid cyst from an Early Neolithic hunter–fisher–gatherer from Lake Baikal, Siberia. Journal of Archaeological Science 50: 51-62.

2013. Waters-Rist A.L., Hoogland M.L.P. Osteological evidence of short-limbed dwarfism in a nineteenth century Dutch family: Achondroplasia or hypochondroplasia. International Journal of Paleopathology 3(4): 243-256.
2011. Waters-Rist A.L., Bazaliiskii V.I., Weber A., Katzenberg M.A. Infant and child diet in Neolithic hunter-fisher-gatherers from Cis-Baikal, Siberia: Intra-long bone stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 146(2): 225-241.
2010. Waters-Rist A.L., Katzenberg M.A. 2010. The effect of growth on stable nitrogen isotopic ratios in subadult bone collagen. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 20: 172-191.