Dietary debates

Calculus and High protein diets

• Liverse (1999)

• The assumption that calculus indicates high protein diet - over-simplistic

• Multiple mineralisation mechanisms operate simultaneously e.g oral alkalinity or individual biology

Cultural vs environmental dietary drivers

•  El Zaatari & Hublin (2014)

• Technology and culture drove adaptation — not ecological pressure

• Dietary differences tracked cultural periods, not environmental conditions.

Vitamin D and the life course framework

• Brickley (2014)

•  Latitude doesn't predict Vitamin D deficiency but rather cultural practices (clothing, sun avoidance, indoor lifestyles) matter enormously

• Biological variables cannot be read independent of social context

Food access vs food availability

• Gerber (2019)

• Bioarchaeology can shed light on structural inequality and access to food