This study focuses on the origins and diet of the seafarers on Columbus’s second voyage, individuals whose mortal remains were buried in the churchyard of the settlement of La Isabela. This was the very first European town in the Americas, founded by Columbus in the present-day Dominican Republic in early January 1494. Historical sources indicate that most of the crew came from the region of Andalucía, while the remainder came from a range of other geographical locations. It is also likely that some individuals had been born elsewhere and migrated to Spain before embarking on their transatlantic voyage. However, their precise origins remain unknown. In this study, we use both osteological analysis and isotopes—both light (C, N, and O) and heavy isotopes of strontium in the tooth enamel and bone of 27 individuals from La Isabela—to investigate questions of human provenience and diet. The results of our analyses indicate that while most of the individuals analyzed from the burial series at La Isabela were males from Spain itself, there were several unexpected females and infants, referred to vaguely by the historical sources, in addition to one local native and a person probably from Africa, implying that Africans took part actively in the Spanish venture of settling the New World from the very beginning.

中文翻译：

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家是水手

这项研究的重点是哥伦布第二次航行中海员的起源和饮食，这些人的遗体被埋葬在拉伊莎贝拉定居点的墓地。这是美洲第一个欧洲城镇，由哥伦布于 1494 年 1 月上旬在今天的多米尼加共和国建立。历史资料表明，大多数船员来自安达卢西亚地区，而其余的则来自其他一系列地理位置。也有可能一些人在其他地方出生并在开始跨大西洋航行之前移居西班牙。然而，它们的确切起源仍然未知。在这项研究中，我们同时使用了骨学分析和同位素——两种光（C、N、和 O) 以及来自 La Isabela 的 27 个人的牙釉质和骨骼中锶的重同位素——以调查人类起源和饮食问题。我们的分析结果表明，虽然从 La Isabela 的墓葬系列中分析的大多数人都是来自西班牙本身的男性，但除了一名当地土著和一名当地居民外，还有几名意外的女性和婴儿，历史资料含糊地提及人可能来自非洲，暗示非洲人从一开始就积极参与西班牙人在新大陆定居的冒险活动。