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Abstract
Salango is an archaeological site on the coast of Ecuador that has been inhabited for thousands of years by multiple different cultures, including the Guangala (100 BCE- 400 CE). While research about mortuary treatment and socio-cultural characteristics has been conducted for the Guangala people, there is a lack of research about diet and/or using biogeochemical studies. This thesis utilizes stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in order to determine what dietary resources were consumed by the Very Early Guangala (VEG) and Early Guangala (EG) people buried at Salango. The sample includes individuals of various sexes and age groups. Results of this research show that these individuals were consuming mostly marine protein sources, which is to be expected for the area, and C4 resources (maize). Comparisons between demographic groups (sex and age), time periods (VEG and EG), and other sites in Ecuador and the Andes region highlight some variation in diet. These comparisons show isotopes statistically differed between time periods, and between infants and older individuals in the sample. Comparisons between contemporaneous cultures in Ecuador show similar overall diets but differ in protein consumption, likely due to difference in geographic location. Overall, these data show that people living at Salango took advantage of abundant local resources and generally shared access to foodstuffs, although some restriction in dietary options occurred over time