Diet and Health in Middle Bronze Age Italy : a metaproteomic analysis of human dental calculus in two case-studies

Shotgun metaproteomics applied to dental calculus is a tool that is providing unprecedented insights in ancient diet and health reconstruction [1][2]. We apply a proteomic analysis of dental calculus deposits from individuals of two contemporaneous populations, Bovolone (Verona) and Sant’Abbondio (Pompeii), in order to provide more insight into the diet and health of individuals in middle Bronze Age Italy. Here we find that differences in protein preservation among individuals make comparing the two populations challenging. Nevertheless, we detect a number of dietary proteins, including wheats and eggs, which gains insight into food consumption practices during this period of social and economic change.