Isotopic Evidence for Diet Among Historic Bedouin of Khirbat al-Mudayna, Jordan L. A. GREGORICKA a * AND M. A. JUDD b a Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA b Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA ABSTRACT Interpreting the behaviours of nomadic groups from the archaeological record is particularly challenging ow- ing to the ephemeral remains produced by their lifestyle. As such, human burials – even from isolated con- texts – provide a wealth of information about these transient groups. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of a series of human skeletal remains (n = 22) from isolated burials were utilized to reconstruct the diet of historic (ca. 13 th –19 th century CE) Bedouin from the Khirbat al-Mudayna vicinity in modern-day Jordan. Carbon isotope values ranging from 17.7 to 12.5‰ point to variable dietary contributions from both C 3 - and C 4 -based foods, while corresponding faunal δ 13 C ratios ( x = 19.0 ± 1.7‰,1σ) exhibit depletion in 13 C characteristic of a predominantly C 3 diet. While mean human δ 15 N values ( x = 12.7 ± 1.9‰,1σ) may suggest that the majority of protein consumed by these nomads came from animal and not plant sources, el- evated δ 15 N ratios in some fauna may be indicative of 15 N-enriched soils as reported in some arid desert en- vironments. Considerable variability in both δ 13 C and δ 15 N values also points to differences in individual life histories and subsistence economies over time. Despite a lack of temporal cohesion, these data illustrate the information that can be gleaned from the isolated interments of nomadic or semi-nomadic individuals. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key words: Bedouin; carbon; diet; Jordan; Levant; nitrogen; nomad; stable isotopes Introduction Nomadism is deeply rooted in human history and remains the preferred lifestyle and subsistence strat- egy among many modern groups, particularly in the Near East and Nile Valley (Musil, 1928; Hobbs, 1989; Jabbur, 1995). Identifying and interpreting the traces of these transient groups in the archaeo- logical record are especially challenging owing to the temporary remains of their lifestyle, although Levy et al. (2004) argue that the archaeological presence of nomadism exists as campsites, ritual sites such as cemeteries or shrines, rock art and inscrip- tions, corrals and other stone enclosures, and hearths. These scholars propose that the cemeteries of nomadic groups are identified by their isolation and great dis- tances from habitation sites; however, solitary burials of individuals who succumbed to death in transit or even once communities become settled are also com- mon mortuary practices among ancient and modern Bedouin 1 (Burckhardt, 1831; Toombs, 1985; Walker, 2001; Mustafa & Abu Tayeh, 2014). The discovery of these isolated burials during survey and excavation occurs frequently in Jordan (Toombs, 1985; Walker, 2001; Judd, 2009a), but these burials are often left unexcavated, or when excavated, the skele- tal remains are merely collected, stored, and left un- studied. However, when considered as a group, the challenge to gain insight into the experienced lives of these individuals and their communities may be at least partially remedied by an examination of the wealth of data contained in the skeletons themselves. Unlike other methods of dietary reconstruction, which rely on indirect archaeological evidence (e.g. an appraisal 1 Bedouin (badū, bedu, Ar.) derives from the Arabic bādiya (desert), meaning desert dweller or pastoral nomad, a way of life traditionally associated with pastoral herders who resided in the desert in tent dwellings constructed of goat-hair (Lane, 1994). This now dated and narrow association does not ap- ply to all past Bedouin, and a continuum of past traditional lifestyle is recog- nized. Modern Jordanians, by being able to trace their ancestry back to an original desert dwelling tribal group, consider themselves to be Bedouin, though perhaps not ‘real’ Bedouin in the very traditional sense (Browning, 2013; Cole, 2003; Peake, 1958). Being Bedouin is no longer a way of life, but has become a collective identity with a rich heritage that embraces the many meanings of being Bedouin or Bedu, past or present (Browning, 2013; Cole, 2003). * Correspondence to: L. A. Gregoricka, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work, University of South Alabama HUMB 34, 5991 USA Drive North. Mobile, AL 36688-0002. e-mail: lgregoricka@southalabama.edu Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Received 1 March 2015 Revised 23 April 2015 Accepted 10 May 2015 International Journal of Osteoarchaeology Int. J. Osteoarchaeol. 26: 705–715 (2016) Published online 14 July 2015 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/oa.2468