Tracing the Source of the Elephant And Hippopotamus Ivory from ...

isotope ratio results, although Dudley (1998: 58) does argue convincingly that hippos
have a much broader feeding niche than previously recognized.
Thus, from the diet and ecological requirements of the hippopotamus described
above, a more informed interpretation of the results from the stable isotope ratio analyses
is discussed in Chapter Thirteen. However, several points may briefly be inferred:
(a) The hippopotamus is regarded as a strict grazer consuming a diet composed primarily
of grasses, including C4 grasses, and this should become evident in the analysis of the
stable carbon isotope ratio results;
(b) Due to their aquatic ecosystem, the stable oxygen and nitrogen isotope ratio values
should reflect their proximity to water, yet exhibiting a reliance on terrestrial plants. The
oxygen isotopes may even mirror the signature of the water in which the hippo resides;
(c) Based on their ecological and dietary requirements, in addition to the archaeological
and historical evidence, those geographical areas in which they most likely dwelled
during the Late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean may be deduced. As such, this
informs which geological strontium values to consider when interpreting the strontium
isotope ratio results.
The territorial tendency of some males may also have important implications for
understanding the stable isotope ratio analyses. Since the females are not tied to one
territory, they are thus able to exploit a wider geographical area for food, and in times of
environmental stress would have access to more and better resources. The female and
non-territorial male diet could potentially reflect more of an average of the local
vegetation than the territorial males, who would have access to only a limited number of
“hippo lawns.” However, the carbon stable isotope ratio would only indicate the
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