Multi-isotope analysis of mammal bones provides environmental context for the adoption of agriculture in the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico

Understanding the environmental context in which agriculture emerged requires proxy records that capture local ecological conditions through time, yet long-term datasets from archaeologically well-dated contexts remain limited. We generated stable isotope measurements from archaeological faunal remains spanning the Late Pleistocene through Late Holocene sequence of the Tehuacan Valley of Puebla, Mexico, including deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and rabbit (Sylvilagus spp.) specimens recovered from multiple sites and cultural phases within the valley. The dataset includes δ13C and δ18O values from bone bioapatite and δ13C and δ15N values from bone collagen, together with specimen metadata, archaeological context information, and indicators of skeletal preservation and diagenesis used to assess data quality.
To facilitate interpretation and reproducibility, the repository also contains analytical workflows used to evaluate temporal variation in isotope values, including generalized additiv..., , # Multi-isotope analysis of mammal bones provides environmental context for the adoption of agriculture in the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.51c59zwn4](10.5061/dryad.51c59zwn4)

## Description of the data and file structure

The submitted data file (Data S2.csv) includes the stable isotope values of deer and rabbit bones from archaeological sites within the Tehuacan Valley of Puebla, Mexico. Contextual and diagenesis information are presented in the data file alongside the isotopic data. Also included in the repository are the R scripts used to generate the images for publication and perform the statistical analyses of the data (see file Tables_stats_graphs_20260220.qmd). The code used to build the general additive models (GAM) to explore variation within the isotope values is presented in the file Tehuacan_Isotope_GAM_01_30_25.Rmd. The GAM script runs the locational and isotopic data that are presented in the file Lat_Long_data_fauna_20250113.csv.  Finally, the..., , **Changes after Feb 21, 2026:** 

Uploaded a newer version of Table_stats_graphs_20260220.qmd. The new version now states that the file was last updated on February 20, 2026, replacing an older date of update.

Uploaded MixSIAR_Paleoenvironment_20260220.R, which replaced MixSIAR_Paleoenvironment_20250828.R. The new version includes the reference to Data S2.csv, instead of an older name of this file (Consumer_20250130.csv). This change was made to be consistent with the name of the primary data file for the manuscript and statistical analyses.