Freshwater Reservoir Offsets Investigated Through Paired Human-Faunal14C Dating and Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Analysis at Lake Baikal, Siberia

A maximum freshwater reservoir effect (FRE) offset of 622 years was identified at Lake Baikal, Siberia, using paired radiocarbon dating of human and terrestrial faunal remains from Neolithic and Early Bronze Age graves. The study found a strong positive correlation between stable nitrogen isotope (δ15N) values and FRE offsets, with each per mil increase in δ15N corresponding to an additional 77 ± 10 years of offset. This relationship varied by microregion: on the southwest shore and along the Angara River, δ15N alone explained most of the variation (r² = 0.814), while in the Little Sea, both δ13C and δ15N significantly contributed to the model (adjusted r² = 0.878). These findings refine our understanding of Lake Baikal's complex carbon ecology—one of the widest-ranging natural ecosystems—and provide critical insights for reconstructing regional culture-history and hunter-gatherer dynamics.

Schulting, R. J., Ramsey, C. B., Bazaliiskii, V. I., Goriunova, O. I., & Weber, A. (2014). Freshwater Reservoir Offsets Investigated Through Paired Human-Faunal¹⁴C Dating and Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Analysis at Lake Baikal, Siberia. Radiocarbon, 56(3), 991–1008. https://doi.org/10.2458/56.17963