But the combination of geographic location, material culture consistent with regional traditions, and the DNA evidence that confirmed genetic Native American ancestry together built a coherent picture: the Spirit Cave Man was a member of an early Great Basin population whose cultural traditions were ancestral to those of the historic peoples of the region.

The Diet Of An Ancient Great Basin Hunter

The stable isotope analysis of the Spirit Cave Man’s remains revealed additional information about his life — information that connected him to the specific landscape that surrounded the cave.

Stable isotope analysis works by measuring the ratios of different forms (isotopes) of specific elements in biological tissues.

The specific ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements in a person’s bone or hair reflect what they ate during the period when that tissue was forming.

Different food sources have distinctive isotope signatures that are passed along to the animals and people that consume them.