Changes in new version Added section for disclosing conflicts of interest required for PCI_Archaeology submission. Caries ratio recalculated - Downstream effects: caries and calculus (presence/absence) no longer correlated Site-wide caries ratio increased from 12.7% to 17.6% No other relevant changes in values as a result. Abstract Dental calculus is an excellent source of information on the dietary patterns of past populations, including consumption of plant-based items. The detection of plant-derived residues such as alkaloids and their metabolites in dental calculus provides direct evidence of consumption by individuals within a population. We conducted a study on 41 individuals from Middenbeemster, a 19th century rural Dutch archaeological site. Skeletal and dental analysis was performed to explore potential relationships between pathological conditions/lesions and the presence of alkaloids. We also explored other factors potentially affecting the detection of alkaloids, including sample weight and ...