Segregated food culture? Bronze Age (1250–500 cal BCE) dietary practices in northern Estonia

• Multi-proxy study reveals Bronze Age diet in Estonia was plant-based. • C3 plants were staple food across all social groups. • Meat and fish intake increased after 800 cal BCE. • No dietary differences between stone-cist and hilltop groups. • Regional dietary differences begin to emerge across the Eastern Baltic. The Bronze Age (2000/1750–500 BCE) in the Eastern Baltic has been considered a period for increased social stratification. While previous research has focused on material culture and settlement patterns to explore socio-cultural hierarchies, this study is the first to test the social stratification hypothesis through multi-proxy dietary analysis. We reconstructed the diet of three previously archaeologically and chronologically defined social groups: Middle Bronze Age single farm populations (Group 1), Late Bronze Age single farm populations (Group 2), and Late Bronze Age fortified settlement inhabitants (Group 3). The first two are represented by stone-cist graves, and the third by a fortified settlement site. Our methodology combines bulk stable isotope analysis of human and animal bone/dentine collagen, organic residue analysis of pottery, and microfossil analysis of food crusts and dental calculus. Results show a generally homogenous diet across all groups, dominated by C3 plants, with terrestrial animal products contributing approximately one-third of caloric intake. A temporal shift around 800 cal BCE is evident among single farm communities, with group 2 showing increased consumption of terrestrial and aquatic animal resources. These findings support the broader interpretation of a transition toward agriculture during the Bronze Age in the Eastern Baltic but challenge the assumption of clear social segregation based on foodways. As a wider contribution, this is the first study in Eastern Europe to quantify Bronze Age food consumption, offering new insights into the proportions of cultivated crops, terrestrial animals, and aquatic resources, and their role in shaping social identities.