This paper reviews the significant advances in isotopic investigations in Andean South America and directs scholars to explore new theoretical and analytical directions, specifically the applicability of isotope data to paleopathology. Excellent preservation and large skeletal collections of human remains make the Central Andes ideal for biogeochemical reconstructions and advancements in isotopic methods. Our aims are twofold: first, we present a meta-analysis of stable and radiogenic isotope research in the Central Andes since 1985, and highlight those that combine analyses of isotope ratios and pathological conditions. Second, we discuss useful directions for incorporating stable isotope analysis more explicitly in studies of paleopathology in the Andes more in the future. Principle research foci have described dietary variation and regional population mobility since the 1980s, where early methodological explorations identified significant trends in isotopic variation. For the years 1980–2017, we identified 96 scholarly publications through a meta-data analysis of major peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings. These demonstrate specific trends in topical and methodological preferences across the Andean region and a shift from 10 publications pre-1997 to 67 in the last 10 years. However, combined isotope and paleopathology studies in this region remain sparse; given the ecological, geological, and cultural complexity of the Central Andes, analyses of pathological conditions in different regions would significantly benefit from the information on diet, mobility, and local ecology that isotope ratios provide. Isotope analysis requires destruction of archaeological tissues, and interpreting isotope data can be complex, but it can also provide unique insights into the pathogenesis of multifactorial conditions and assist differential diagnosis. Therefore, we also discuss research designs for pairing isotopic and paleopathological variables that will allow researchers to better capture disease ecologies in archaeological samples and their variation across different regions, within related sites, and within individual lifespans.

本文回顾了南美安第斯山脉同位素研究的重大进展，并指导学者们探索新的理论和分析方向，特别是同位素数据在古病理学中的适用性。安第斯山脉中部出色的保存和巨大的人体遗骸收藏使之成为生物地球化学重建和同位素方法研究的理想之选。我们的目标是双重的：首先，我们提供自1985年以来安第斯中部稳定同位素和放射性同位素研究的荟萃分析，并着重介绍那些结合同位素比率和病理条件进行分析的研究。其次，我们将在将来更详细地讨论在安第斯山脉的古病理学研究中更明确地纳入稳定同位素分析的有用方向。原理研究重点描述了1980年代以来的饮食变化和区域人口流动性，早期的方法学研究发现了同位素变化的显着趋势。在1980年至2017年间，我们通过对主要同行评审期刊，书籍章节和会议记录进行元数据分析，确定了96种学术出版物。这些证明了整个安第斯地区主题和方法偏好的具体趋势，以及从1997年之前的10种出版物到最近10年中的67种出版物的转变。但是，该地区的同位素和古病理学联合研究仍然很少。鉴于安第斯中部地区的生态，地质和文化复杂性，对不同地区的病理状况进行分析将极大地受益于饮食，流动性，同位素比率提供的当地生态。同位素分析需要破坏考古组织，并且解释同位素数据可能很复杂，但它也可以为多因素疾病的发病机理提供独特的见解，并有助于鉴别诊断。因此，我们还将讨论同位素和古病理变量配对的研究设计，这将使研究人员能够更好地捕获考古样本中的疾病生态及其在不同区域，相关地点以及单个寿命内的变化。