Search

This study presents the results of integrated isotopic and dental calculus analyses of a number of individuals buried in two cemeteries of Roman and medieval chronology in Lamon(Belluno), northern Italy. Eleven individuals from the Roman cemetery of San Donato and six from the medieval cemetery of San Pietro are presented and discussed. The results suggest a continuity of geographic residence for the two populations, with most of the analysed individuals showing a local or regional origin. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes are indicative of a diet based on a mixed C3/C4 plant consumption and rich in animal proteins, with no significant difference between the Roman and the medieval populations. The consumption of C4 plants, more resilient to the Alpine climate, is consistently documented both by isotopes and dental calculus. Dental calculus results permit the characterisation of the typology of the crop consumed, namely millet, barley/wheat and legumes and may also suggest differing cooking processes between the Roman and the medieval periods. Phytoliths, vascular elements, fungal spores and animal remains from dental calculus provide new insights into the diet of the analysed individuals but also, hypothetically, into possible medicinal treatments. The presence of birds such as fowls and ducks in the medieval diet of some individuals from San Pietro has also emerged. Overall, the results of this study open a new window into the biographies of the individuals analysed, their diet, mobility, habits, and environment, thus stimulating further and more systematic investigation on the populations occupying an Alpine sector which is still poorly understood from an archaeological perspective.

Objectives: This study examines the biological sex and geographical origins of adolescents buried at the St Mary Magdalen leprosarium (Winchester, UK). The data are combined with archaeological and palaeopathological evidence to broaden the understanding of mobility and its relationship to leprosy and leprosaria in Medieval England. Materials and Methods: Nineteen individuals (~10–25 at death) with skeletal lesions diagnostic of leprosy were analyzed using standard osteological methods. Amelogenin peptides were extracted from five individuals whose biological sex could not be assessed from macroscopic methods. Enamel samples were analyzed to produce 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O values to explore mobility histories. Results: Amelogenin peptides revealed three males and two females. Tooth enamel samples provided an 87Sr/86Sr ratio range from 0.7084 to 0.7103 (mean 0.7090, ±0.0012, 2σ). δ18OP values show a wide range of 15.6‰–19.3‰ (mean 17.8 ± 1.6‰ 2σ), with corresponding δ18ODW values ranging from −9.7‰ to −4.1‰ (mean −6.3 ± 2.4‰ 2σ). Discussion Amelogenin peptide data reveal the presence of adolescent females with bone changes of leprosy, making them the youngest confirmed females with leprosy in the archaeological record. Results also show at least 12 adolescents were local, and seven were from further afield, including outside Britain. Since St. Mary Magdalen was a leprosarium, it is possible that these people traveled there specifically for care. Archaeological and palaeopathological data support the notion that care was provided at this facility and that leprosy stigma, as we understand it today, may not have existed in this time and place.

Objectives: This study investigates if palaeodietary information can be obtained from pulp stones through stable isotope analysis, presents a method for their extraction from tooth samples, and assesses their utility as a source of paleodietary information when coupled with the incremental dentine method. Materials and Methods: Six tooth samples (2 per individual), four of which contained pulp stones, were selected from three Early Neolithic (3720–3650 cal BC) individuals from the Whitwell Long Cairn in Derbyshire, England. After demineralization, each tooth was divided into 1 mm increments. Stable isotope analysis of collagen was conducted on each dentine increment and a portion of each pulp stone. Results: All samples met the quality control criteria for well-preserved collagen. Excluding the pulp stones, the mean δ13C value of the teeth sampled was −21.5 ± 0.2‰ and the mean δ15N value was 9.9 ± 0.5‰, suggesting these individuals had a terrestrial-based diet. The pulp stones produced similar δ13C values between −21.6 and −21.4‰ and δ15N values between 9.1 and 9.8‰. Discussion: The results demonstrate that paleodietary information can be obtained from pulp stones through stable isotope analysis. There are, however, significant challenges in interpreting this data, particularly as to inferring the timing and duration of their formation. The pulp stone results were compared with the incremental dentine profiles for each person to further investigate when they might have formed. For two individuals, the pulp stones appear to reflect diet from a time period after childhood and adolescence. For the third individual, it could not be determined if the pulp stones reflect a contemporary or later time period than the incremental dentine series. All teeth with pulp stones have moderate to severe wear on the occlusal surface, which could have been a contributing factor to their development.

Leprosy is one of the most notorious diseases in history, widely associated with social stigma and exclusion. This study builds on previous work to reevaluate the medicohistorical evidence for social stigma in relation to leprosy. This is achieved by isotopic and palaeopathological analyses of adolescent skeletons (10–25 years old) from the Anglo-Scandinavian (10th–11th centuries AD) parish cemetery of St. John at the Castle Gate in Norwich (Eastern England/East Anglia). Core enamel samples from premolar and molar teeth from 10 young individuals with diagnostic lesions for leprosy were selected for radiogenic strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ18O) stable isotope analyses. Isotope data did not exclude anyone from the regional range. Palaeopathological data and archaeological contexts suggest that those with visible signs of leprosy were buried with their local community and in a normative manner, thus challenging the notion of social exclusion experienced by people with leprosy throughout the Medieval Period. This study underscores the importance of bioarchaeological data in challenging broad medicohistorical and archaeological narratives.

The use of lead was ubiquitous throughout the Roman Empire, including material for water pipes, eating vessels, medicine, and even as a sweetener for wine. The toxicity of lead is well established today, resulting in long-term psychological and neurological deficits as well as metabolic diseases. Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of lead, and it is likely that the widespread use of this deadly metal among Roman populations led to a range of adverse health effects. Indeed, lead poisoning has even been implicated in the downfall of the Roman Empire. This research examines, for the first time, the direct effect of lead poisoning on the inhabitants of the Empire. It explores whether the dramatic increase in lead during this period contributed to the failure to thrive evident within the skeletal remains of Roman children. Lead concentration and paleopathological analyses were used to explore the association between lead burdens and health during the Roman period. This study includes 173 individuals (66 adults and 107 non-adults) from five sites, AD 1st–4th centuries, located throughout the Roman Empire. Results show a negative correlation between age-at-death and core tooth enamel lead concentrations. Furthermore, higher lead concentrations were observed in children with skeletal evidence of metabolic disease than those without. This study provides the first bioarcheological evidence that lead poisoning was a contributing factor to the high infant mortality and childhood morbidity rates seen within the Roman world.

Isotope ratios of tooth enamel from ten Early Neolithic individuals buried in a long cairn at Whitwell in central England were measured to determine where they sourced their childhood diet. Five individuals have low Sr concentrations (11–66 ppm) and high 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7164–0.7212). Three individuals have relatively low 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.712–0.711) and Sr concentrations ranging between 54 and 109 ppm. Two individuals have strontium isotope values that bridge the gap between the isotope compositions of these two groups. The high 87Sr/86Sr values are rare in human enamel and exclude sources within the biosphere of central England. Oxygen isotope values are comparable to those found within human archaeological populations buried in temperate regions of Europe. The strontium isotope results should be interpreted in the context of other evidence for migration from northern France to Britain during the Early Neolithic. Les rapports isotopiques de l'email des dents appartenant a dix individus ensevelis dans un long cairn a Whitwell dans le centre de l'Angleterre ont ete analyses pour etablir d'ou provenait l'alimentation de ces individus pendant leur enfance. Cinq individus ont une faible concentration de strontium (11–66 ppm) et un taux eleve de 87Sr/86Sr (0.7164–0.7212). Trois individus ont une proportion relativement faible de 87Sr/86Sr (0.712–0.711) et des concentrations de strontium comprises entre 54 et 109 ppm. Deux individus possedent des valeurs isotopiques de strontium qui comblent l’ecart entre les compositions isotopiques de ces deux groupes. On rencontre rarement des valeurs elevees de 87Sr/86Sr dans l'email de dents humaines et il nous faut exclure une source dans la biosphere du centre de l'Angleterre. Les valeurs des isotopes de l'oxygene sont proches de celles que contiennent les restes archeologiques de populations humaines que l'on retrouve dans les sepultures des regions temperees d'Europe continentale. Les resultats des analyses isotopiques du strontium pourraient donc plaider en faveur d'une migration de groupes humains au Neolithique ancien. Translation by Madeleine Hummler.

Carbon and nitrogen isotope profiles were obtained from incremental dentine analysis of 19 non‐adults from a cemetery in Riga, Latvia. The research compared the life histories and diet between people buried in two mass graves and the general cemetery. The δ13C profiles of several children from the mass graves were similar but did not resemble the patterns seen in children from the general cemetery, suggesting that they probably represented a different population group. The rise in δ15N values towards the end of the life of four individuals from one mass grave suggests they were victims of an historically documented famine.

This study documents a transect of

The aims of this study were to explore the origins of 19 children buried in two mass graves and the general cemetery at the post-medieval St Gertrude Church cemetery in Riga, Latvia, using strontium isotope analysis (87Sr/86Sr), and to establish local soil Sr biosphere ranges from faunal samples from two areas of Latvia. The results confirmed the presence of one clear outlier in the population and one child who may have had originated from the region of Vidzeme. The lack of significant differences in 87Sr/86Sr between the other individuals analysed suggested that they were representative of one population. A strong correlation between 87Sr/86Sr ratios and previously obtained mean δ13C and δ15N values in children from mass graves suggested possible short-term dietary changes with increased proportion of marine resources and food sources subject to sea spray. The study has yielded the first comparative 87Sr/86Sr data from archaeological skeletons in Latvia, which will be essential for future research addressing comparative mobility studies in the region.

Objectives: This study tests, for the first time, the applicability of a new method of sex\ud estimation utilizing enamel peptides on a sample of deciduous and permanent teeth at\ud different stages of mineralization, from nonadults of unknown sex, including perinates.\ud Materials and methods: A total of 43 teeth from 29 nonadult individuals aged from\ud 40 gestational weeks to 19 years old were analyzed. The sample included pairs of\ud fully mineralized and just developing teeth from the same individual. The individuals\ud were from four archaeological sites in England: Piddington (1st–2nd centuries AD),\ud Coach Lane, Victoria Gate, and Fewston (all 18th–19th centuries). A method that\ud identifies sex chromosome-linked isoforms of the peptide amelogenin from human\ud tooth enamel was applied. The method utilizes a minimally destructive acid etching\ud procedure and subsequent nano liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.\ud Results: It was possible to determine the sex of 28 of the nonadult individuals sam�pled (males = 20, females = 8, undetermined = 1). Only one sample failed (CL9), due\ud to insufficient mineralization of the sampled tooth enamel. Data are available via\ud ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD021683.\ud Discussion: Sufficient peptide material to determine sex can be recovered even from\ud the crowns of developing perinatal teeth that are not fully mineralized. The minimally\ud destructive and inexpensive (compared to ancient DNA) nature of this procedure has\ud significant implications for bioarchaeological studies of infancy and childhood.

Decorated ostrich eggs were traded around the Mediterranean during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Research on their origins has focused primarily on decorative techniques and iconography to characterise producers, workshops and trade routes, thereby equating decorative styles with cultural identities and geographical locations. This is problematic for these periods, as craftspeople were mobile and in service to foreign royal patrons. Consequently, the present study investigates geographical origin and reconsiders trade patterns via isotopic indicators. Scanning electron microscopy has also been used to characterise decorative techniques to assist in recognising culturally distinct decorative styles or regional preferences.

Recent excavations at Musselburgh, East Lothian (Scotland) revealed twelve skeletons, radiocarbon dated to the Iron Age and Roman period. The high incidence of skeletal trauma characteristic of decapitation in those of Roman date makes this site unusual. A multi-isotope investigation of seven of these individuals was conducted to explore any link between intrusive burial practices and migration at one of Britain’s most northerly frontiers. Bulk collagen analysis provided a terrestrial, C3, dietary protein signal (mean δ13C −20.4‰ and δ15N + 11.1‰), consistent with other Romano-British studies. However, the range of δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr and Pb isotopes indicate more diverse origins for the Roman individuals. These results suggest that decapitation burials were afforded to migrants to the Lothian area, but is not indicative of a common origin, implying that something more complex than a shared geographic childhood origin united these individuals. The possible association of these decapitation burials with a nearby 2nd century fort suggests that they may also represent some of the earliest examples of Roman decapitation burials to be found anywhere in Britain.

Significance The ability to assign biological sex to human skeletal remains is a fundamental requirement in archaeology, paleoanthropology, and medico-legal sciences. While DNA sequencing can be used, it is expensive, time-consuming, and often fails due to the poor quality of the remaining DNA. An easier, more reliable, and consistently applicable method is needed. We present a method for sex determination of human remains using peptides retrieved from tooth enamel. Amelogenin is an enamel-forming protein encoded for by both chromosomes X and Y, with slight differences in their amino acid sequences. Peptides with these differences were identified by nanoflow liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and found to correctly assign sex to archaeological human remains of various chronological ages, from hundreds to thousands of years old., The assignment of biological sex to archaeological human skeletons is a fundamental requirement for the reconstruction of the human past. It is conventionally and routinely performed on adults using metric analysis and morphological traits arising from postpubertal sexual dimorphism. A maximum accuracy of ∼95% is possible if both the cranium and os coxae are present and intact, but this is seldom achievable for all skeletons. Furthermore, for infants and juveniles, there are no reliable morphological methods for sex determination without resorting to DNA analysis, which requires good DNA survival and is time-consuming. Consequently, sex determination of juvenile remains is rarely undertaken, and a dependable and expedient method that can correctly assign biological sex to human remains of any age is highly desirable. Here we present a method for sex determination of human remains by means of a minimally destructive surface acid etching of tooth enamel and subsequent identification of sex chromosome-linked isoforms of amelogenin, an enamel-forming protein, by nanoflow liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body and survives burial exceptionally well, even when the rest of the skeleton or DNA in the organic fraction has decayed. Our method can reliably determine the biological sex of humans of any age using a body tissue that is difficult to cross-contaminate and is most likely to survive. The application of this method will make sex determination of adults and, for the first time, juveniles a reliable and routine activity in future bioarcheological and medico-legal science contexts.

Bioarchaeological evidence suggests that the site of Grimes Graves, Norfolk, characterised by the remains of several hundred Late Neolithic flint mineshafts, was a permanently settled community with a mixed farming economy during the Mid-Late Bronze Age (c. 1400 BCE – c. 800 BCE). The aim of this study was to investigate, through isotope ratio analysis ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, δ 13 C and δ 18 O), the origins and husbandry of Bronze Age cattle ( Bos taurus ) excavated from a mineshaft known as the “1972 shaft”. Strontium isotope ratios from the molar enamel of ten Grimes Graves cattle were compared with eight modern animals from the Chillingham Wild White cattle herd, Northumberland. The range of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values for the modern cattle with known restricted mobility was low (0.00062) while the values for the Grimes Graves cattle varied much more widely (range = 0.00357) and suggest that at least five of the cattle were not born locally. Two of these animals were likely to have originated at a distance of ≥ 150 km. Intra-tooth δ 13 C profiles for eight of the Grimes Graves cattle show higher δ 13 C values compared to those of Early Bronze Age cattle from central England. Most of these profiles also display pronounced shifts in δ 13 C during the period of enamel formation. One possible interpretation is that the cattle were subject to dietary change resulting from movement between habitats with different vegetation δ 13 C values. More comparative data, both archaeological and modern, is required to validate this interpretation. The multi-isotope approach employed in this study suggests that certain cattle husbandry and/or landscape management practices may have been widely adopted throughout central Britain during the Mid-Late Bronze Age.

A previously unresearched Early Bronze Age dagger-grave found in 1989 at Racton, West Sussex, is profiled here through a range of studies. The dagger, the only grave accompaniment, is of the ‘transitional’ Ferry Fryston type, this example being of bronze rather than copper. Bayesian analysis of relevant radiocarbon dates is used to refine the chronology of the earliest bronze in Britain. While the Ferry Fryston type was current in the earlier half of the twenty-second centurybc, the first butt-riveted bronze daggers did not emerge until the second half. The Racton dagger is also distinguished by its elaborate rivet-studded hilt, an insular innovation with few parallels.The excavated skeleton was that of a senior male, buried according to the appropriate rites of the time. Isotopic profiling shows an animal-protein rich diet that is typical for the period, but also the likelihood that he was brought up in a region of older silicate sedimentary rocks well to the west or north west of Racton. He had suffered injury at or close to the time of death; a slice through the distal end of his left humerus would have been caused by a fine-edged blade, probably a dagger. Death as a result of combat-contested leadership is explored in the light of other injuries documented among Early Bronze Age burials. Codified elite-level combat could help to explain the apparent incongruity between the limited efficacy of early dagger forms and their evident weapon-status.

Objectives A multi‐isotope study was conducted on individuals buried at Skriðuklaustur monastery (AD 1493–1554) to investigate their geographic origins and dietary composition. Comparative material from individuals excavated from Skeljastaðir, an inland farm site was also analyzed. Materials and methods Bone collagen was extracted from 50 humans (Skriðuklaustur and Skeljastaðir) and 25 animals (Skriðuklaustur) and analyzed for δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S. Dental enamel samples from 31 individuals (Skriðuklaustur) were also analyzed for 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ13C, and trace elements (Pb, Sr, Zn, Ba). Results The mean value determined from individuals from Skriðuklaustur (n = 36) was δ13C = −18.7 ± 0.8‰, δ15N = 12.8 ± 1.1‰, and δ34S = 9.0 ± 1.6‰, whereas at Skeljastaðir (n = 14), it was δ13C = −20.5 ± 0.8‰, δ15N = 7.8 ± 0.9‰, and δ34S = 9.4 ± 1.6‰. At Skriðuklaustur, human dental enamel samples (n = 31) provided a 87Sr/86Sr range of 0.7060–0.7088, δ18Ophosphate from 13.9 to 16.1‰ and δ13Ccarbonate from −16.6 to −12.9‰. Inferred drinking water (δ18Odw) values range from −12.3 to −8.9‰. Sr concentrations range from 25.8 to 156.7 ppm, Ba from 0.11 to 0.81 ppm, Zn from 43.8 to 145.8 ppm, and Pb from 0.13 to 9.40 ppm. Discussion A combination of results indicates that the people from Skriðuklaustur were born in Iceland, but some lived inland during childhood while others lived closer to the coast. Since Skriðuklaustur was a hospital, these individuals may have sought medical treatment at the monastery. The δ13C and δ15N values determined from bone collagen indicate that the people residing at Skriðuklaustur consumed a diet high in marine protein, while those residing at Skeljastaðir exhibit values more consistent with terrestrial resources., This research was financed by Fornminjasjóður (the Archaeology Fund), Háskólasjóður Eimskipafélags Íslands (the Eimskip University Fund), and the Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Laboratory (SIBL).

The question of whether rock grit ingested unintentionally from querns, metates or millstones or deliberately through pica or geophagy is bioaccessible in the human gut has not been addressed in archaeological Sr-isotope studies. This study employed the Unified Bioaccessibility Method and determined that ingested rock grit can provide bioaccessible 87Sr/86Sr, but that unintentional consumption is unlikely to constitute more than 1% of the diet (by mass) and will not significantly change, i.e. by > 0.001, human skeletal 87Sr/86Sr. The use of locally or non-locally sourced querns or millstones will not affect the interpretation of archaeological human 87Sr/86Sr values in Britain. Keywords: Strontium, 87Sr/86Sr, bioaccessible, quern, millstone, grinding stone, metates, human diet, Millstone Grit, Pennant sandstone, Eskdale granite.

Aims and Objectives: Macroscopic skeletal analysis and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses were employed to examine the relationship between skeletal “stress” lesions and changes in the isotopic life‐history profiles of six non‐adults from the Gepid population buried at the Archiud “Hânsuri” Cemetery (4th–7th Cent AD). Materials and Methods: The Gepids were a migratory barbarian population in the Carpathian Mountain basin of Transylvania, Romania. Macroscopic skeletal analysis was conducted on 32 individuals and of those, six non‐adults were selected for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of incrementally sampled dentine. Results: Macroscopic skeletal analyses revealed 47% of the analysed population displayed evidence of childhood stress. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ranges were ‐17.7 to ‐11.8‰ for δ13C and 9.4 to 15.1‰ for δ15N. Discussion: The overall dietary profile indicates a mixed terrestrial diet (C3/C4) with increased consumption of C4 plants during adolescence. The six non‐adults appear to have been breastfed from one to six months and weaned by three years of age. High δ15N values seen in pre‐ and post‐natal increments may suggest a level of nutritional/physiological stress during gestation, and during the transitions from umbilical nutrients, breastmilk, and weaning foods. Although limited by the small sample size, this study supports the link between elevated δ15N values and nutritional stress, the relationship and timing of skeletal lesions with changes in the isotope profiles and was among the first to combine palaeopathological analyses and incremental stable isotope analyses on the Transylvania Gepids.

In this study, bulk bone collagen carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope data from 49 individuals, recovered from two Medieval burial grounds in Hereford, England, are coupled with incremental dentine data from five individuals with high δ15N bone values who survived into old age, to see whether the high δ15N values were consistent throughout their childhood and adolescence. There are statistically insignificant differences between mean bone δ13C and δ15N values from the two Hereford populations, exhumed at Cathedral Close and St. Guthlac's Priory, despite temporal and demographic differences (St Guthlac's mean: δ13C −19.4 ± 0.5‰ and δ15N 10.9 ± 1.2‰; Hereford Cathedral mean: δ13C −19.6 ± 0.4‰ and δ15N 10.4 ± 0.9‰, 1σ). In comparison to other contemporary urban populations, the Hereford individuals present significantly lower but more variable δ15N values, suggesting a diet low in protein from high trophic level foods such as meat and milk, possibly the result of differing social status or geographic factors. The approximately 23-year long incremental dentine profiles all show considerable fluctuation in stable isotope values during childhood and adolescence for all individuals until around age 20, suggesting possible influence by physiological processes related to growth and development.

Radiocarbon dates have been obtained from a log-coffin burial excavated in 1864 by Canon William Greenwell from a ditched round barrow at Scale House, near Rylstone (Rilston, Rylston, Rylestone), North Yorkshire. The oak tree-trunk coffin had contained an extended body wrapped in a wool textile. The body had entirely decayed and there were no other extant grave goods. Coffin fragments and a fragment of the textile are curated in Craven Museum and Gallery, Skipton. Additional textile fragments are curated at the British and Ashmolean Museums. In the absence of other grave goods, Greenwell attributed the burial to the Bronze Age because it lay under a ditched round barrow and had similarities with log-coffin burials from Britain and Denmark. This attribution of a Bronze Age date has not been questioned since 1864 despite a number of Early Medieval log-coffin burials subsequently being found in northern Britain. Crucially, the example excavated near Quernmore, Lancashire in 1973, was published as Bronze Age but subsequently radiocarbon dated to AD 430-970. The Rylstone coffin and textile were radiocarbon dated to confirm that the burial was Early Bronze Age and not an Early Medieval coffin inserted into an earlier funerary monument. Unexpectedly, the dates were neither Early Bronze Age nor Early Medieval but c. 800 BC, the cusp of the Bronze Age-Iron Age transition in Britain. The burial at Rylstone is, therefore, unparalleled in Britain and elsewhere in north-western Europe at a time when disposal of the dead was primarily through dispersed cremated or unburnt disarticulated remains.

A key goal for archaeozoology is to define and characterise pastoral farming strategies. In the last decade, some of the most innovative approaches for addressing these questions have centred on the mammalian dentition, including inter alia sequential sampling of stable isotopes, dental microwear analysis and the study of dental pathologies. It is when these techniques are integrated and combined with more traditional approaches, such as tooth eruption and wear, however, that their full potential is realised. In this article we demonstrate how such an integrated dental analysis combining isotopes, microwear, dental development, dental pathologies, tooth eruption and wear can be used to elucidate changing pastoral practices and their impacts on the landscape from the Iron Age and Viking-Late Norse periods in the North Atlantic islands, a period of significant socio-economic and cultural change in this region. Analysis focuses on two case study sites, Mine Howe, dating to the Atlantic Middle Iron Age (MIA) and the Earl's Bu, one of the residences of the Orkney Earl's from the 10th to 13/14th centuries AD. Each of the techniques applied to the sheep/goat and cattle dentition identifies clear differences between the two sites, in diet, in culling season, herd health and stress levels, all of which point to potential differences in underlying husbandry practices. These are related to wider socio-economic developments in Orkney at these periods, specifically increasing control of pastoral resources and economic production by North Atlantic elites in the MIA and the emergence of manorial estates in Late Norse/Early Medieval Scandinavia.

After the Battle Dunbar between English and Scottish forces in 1650, captured Scottish soldiers were imprisoned in Durham and many hundreds died there within a few weeks. The partial skeletal remains of 28 of these men were discovered in 2013. Building on previous osteological work, here we report wide-ranging scientific studies of the remains to address the following questions: Did they have comparable diet, health and disease throughout their lives? Did they have common histories of movement (or lack of movement) during their childhoods? Can we create a collective biography of these men? Strontium and oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel investigated childhood movement. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of incrementally sampled dentine addressed childhood diet and nutrition. Metaproteomic analysis of dental calculus investigated oral microbiomes and food residues; this was complemented by microscopic analysis of debris in calculus from ingested materials. Selected individuals were examined for dental microwear. The extent of hydroxylation of proline in collagen was examined as a potential biomarker for scurvy. An osteobiography for each man was created using the full range of data generated about him, and these were synthesised using an approach based on the historical method for a collective biography or prosopography. The childhood residences of the men were primarily within the Midland Valley of Scotland, though some spent parts of their childhood outside the British Isles. This is concordant with the known recruitment areas of the Scottish army in 1650. Their diets included oats, brassicas and milk but little seafood, as expected for lowland rather than highland diets of the period. Childhood periods of starvation or illness were almost ubiquitous, but not simultaneous, suggesting regionally variable food shortages in the 1620s and 1630s. It is likely there was widespread low-level scurvy, ameliorating in later years of life, which suggests historically unrecorded shortages of fruit and vegetables in the early 1640s. Almost all men were exposed to burnt plant matter, probably as inhaled soot, and this may relate to the high proportion of them with of sinusitis. Interpersonal violence causing skeletal trauma was rare. Based on commonalities in their osteobiographies, we argue that these men were drawn from the same stratum of society. This study is perhaps the most extensive to date of individuals from 17thcentury Scotland. Combined with a precise historical context it allows the lives of these men to be investigated and compared to the historical record with unprecedented precision. It illustrates the power of archaeological science methods to confirm, challenge and complement historical evidence.

The Archiud “Hânsuri” cemetery in Transylvania, Romania is the burial site of a barbarian population from the Kingdom of the Gepids (4th–7th Cent AD). Previous work examining the dietary isotope life-histories and palaeopathological profiles of the non–adults (

Members of religious orders during the later medieval period in Britain were expected to adhere to strict rules governing their daily lives which restricted their consumption of meat. This study aims to investigate whether this switch to a ‘religious diet’ can be isotopically detected in presumed religious individuals upon their entry into a religious order during adolescence. Secondary aims of this study include: 1) a comparison of the carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values between individuals with and without diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH); and 2) to compare the mean values of the sites analyzed with geographically and temporally related sites from previously published studies. To achieve these aims, δ13C and δ15N analysis of third molar incremental dentine collagen and bulk rib bone collagen was undertaken on ten presumed religious individuals: five from the Carmelite friary at Priory Close, Northallerton, founded in 1356 CE, and five from the Friars of the Sack-turned-Carmelite friary at Clavering Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, founded in 1266 CE. Twelve contemporaneous faunal samples were also analyzed to provide an isotopic baseline. The δ13C and δ15N profiles of all individuals from both sites in this study increased from the beginning of the formation of the third molar at c. 8.5 years to its completion at c. 23.5 years indicating a shift during adolescence from a largely terrestrial mixed diet to one that contained a significant amount of animal and marine protein. Individuals exhibiting skeletal pathology indicative of DISH were found to have individual δ13C and δ15N values that were elevated above the means for each site, and the mean rib collagen δ13C and δ15N values at Priory Close and Clavering Place were in line with published data from other later medieval religious sites in northeastern England. This study provides evidence for a shift in diet experienced by members of religious orders during adolescence and lays the foundation for future studies of dietary changes at different religious institutions.

This article presents evidence of population movements in Thessaly, Greece, during the Early Iron Age (Protogeometric period, eleventh–ninth centuries BC). The method we employed to detect non-local individuals is strontium isotope analysis (87Sr/86Sr) of tooth enamel integrated with the contextual analysis of mortuary practices and osteological analysis of the skeletal assemblage. During the Protogeometric period, social and cultural transformations occurred while society was recovering from the disintegration of the Mycenaean civilization (twelfth century BC). The analysis of the cemeteries of Voulokaliva, Chloe, and Pharsala, located in southern Thessaly, showed that non-local individuals integrated in the communities we focused on and contributed to the observed diversity in burial practices and to the developments in the formation of a social organization. Dans cet article nous examinons les données concernant les mouvements de population en Thessalie en Grèce au début de l’âge du Fer (époque protogéométrique, XIe–IXe siècles av. J.-C.). La méthode choisie pour déceler la présence d'individus allochtones est l'analyse des isotopes du strontium (87Sr/86Sr) préservé dan l'email dentaire combinée ici avec une analyse contextuelle des pratiques funéraires et l'analyse ostéologique des restes humains. L’époque protogéométrique vit une série de transformations sociales et culturelles alors que la société se remettait de la désintégration de la civilisation mycénienne (XIIe siècle av. J.-C.). L’étude des nécropoles de Voulokaliva, Chloe et Pharsala en Thessalie méridionale démontre que des individus étrangers intégrés aux communautés étudiées ont contribué à la diversité des pratiques funéraires et ont ainsi participé à l’évolution de l'organisation sociale. Translation by Madeleine Hummler. In diesem Artikel werden die Angaben über Bevölkerungsbewegungen in Thessalien in Griechenland in der früheisenzeitlichen protogeometrischen Periode (11. bis 9. Jh. v. Chr.) untersucht. Die Methode, die wir gewählt haben, um nicht-einheimische Individuen zu erkennen, ist die Analyse von 87Sr/86Sr Strontium Isotopen im Zahnschmelz. Diese Untersuchung wird hier mit einer kontextuellen Auswertung der Bestattungssitten und einer Analyse der menschlichen Skelettreste verbunden. In protogeometrischer Zeit haben mehrere soziale und kulturelle Veränderungen stattgefunden, als die Gesellschaft sich vom Zerfall der mykenischen Zivilisation (12. Jh. v. Chr.) erholte. Die Auswertung der Gräberfelder von Voulokaliva, Chloe und Pharsala im Süden von Thessalien hat gezeigt, dass die nicht-einheimischen Individuen in diesen Gemeinschaften zur Vielfalt der Bestattungssitten und zur Entwicklung der sozialen Organisation der Gesellschaft beigetragen haben. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

Tooth enamel from six cattle mandibles excavated from Roman deposits at The Hive development site, Worcester (mid-2nd to early 4th century AD) was subjected to strontium, oxygen and carbon isotope analyses (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O and δ13C) to investigate the movement of cattle into Worcester, a purported regional cattle market, during the Roman period. Strontium isotope ratios show that none of the cattle were born and bred in close proximity to Worcester and arrived as mature beasts some time before death. Whilst two are consistent with origins in the region of Old Red Sandstone of Herefordshire to the west, the unusually high strontium isotope ratios of four of the cattle (i.e. >0.714) show that they originated in a region of ancient or radiogenic rocks such as granites which are found only in the west and north of Britain (e.g. Wales, the Lake District and northern Scotland) based on the currently available biosphere data. Comparison of the oxygen and carbon isotope values also suggests that the cattle were not from the same herd, but interpretation is complicated by the lack of comparative cattle data for the Roman period as well as other time periods. The severe wear of the molars from the aged cattle in this study also limits the interpretation of the results. More isotopic analyses are needed from other British sites in order to fully understand the implications of cattle movement into urban centres during the Roman period.

Migration continues to be a central theme in archaeology, and bioarchaeology has made significant contributions toward understanding the disease and demographic consequences of migration in different periods and places. These studies have been enhanced by stable isotope studies of mobility and diet, which have revealed further complexities.This study integrates osteological, palaeopathological and stable isotope evidence to investigate the interrelationship between migrant and local population disease frequencies in Roman Britain. Previous analyses have identified migrants from across the Roman Empire, along with increases in the prevalence rates of infectious and metabolic diseases, poor dental health, and non-specific indicators of stress. This study aims to explore the extent to which migrants and people born in Britain differed in terms of mortality risk and the frequencies of disease variables. Osteological and dental data from 151 individuals excavated from 24 Romano-British cemetery sites with mobility isotope data were statistically analyzed. The results reveal significant differences between migrant and local populations for periosteal new bone formation, rib lesions, residual rickets, and dental health variables. When data were pooled for both sexes, a statistically significant difference in mortality between the two groups was also observed.Overall, the results of this study suggest that migrants transformed patterns of disease in the Romano-British period and, combined with the changes to settlement patterns and environment, created new disease risks for both groups. The results also show that many of the key bioarchaeological indicators of change following the Roman conquest may actually reveal more about disease and health experienced in the wider Empire. La migration continue d’etre un theme central en archeologie, et la bioarcheologie a largement contribue a la comprehension de la maladie et des consequences demographiques de la migration a differents moments et lieux. Ces etudes ont ete renforcees par des etudes isotopiques stables sur la mobilite et l’alimentation, qui ont revele d’autres complexites.Cette etude integre des preuves d’isotopes osteologiques, paleopathologiques et stables pour etudier l’interrelation entre les frequences des migrations et des populations locales en Grande-Bretagne Romaine. Des analyses anterieures ont identifie des migrants de l’ensemble de l’Empire Romain, ainsi que des augmentations des taux de prevalence des maladies infectieuses et metaboliques, une mauvaise sante dentaire et des indicateurs de stress non specifiques. Cette etude vise a explorer la mesure dans laquelle les migrants et les personnes nees en Grande-Bretagne differaient en termes de risque de mortalite et de frequence des variables de la maladie. Les donnees osteologiques et dentaires de 151 individus fouilles dans 24 cimetieres Romano-Britanniques avec des donnees sur les isotopes de mobilite ont ete analysees statistiquement. Les resultats revelent des differences significatives entre les populations migrantes et locales pour la formation de nouveaux os perioste, les lesions de cotes, le rachitisme residuel et les variables de sante dentaire. Lorsque les donnees ont ete regroupees pour les deux sexes, une difference statistiquement significative dans la mortalite entre les deux groupes a egalement ete observee.Dans l’ensemble, les resultats de cette etude suggerent que les migrants ont transforme les schemas de la maladie a l’epoque Romano-Britannique, et combines avec les changements dans les modes d’etablissement et l’environnement, ont cree de nouveaux risques de maladie pour les deux groupes. Les resultats montrent egalement que de nombreux indicateurs bioarcheologiques cles du changement apres la conquete romaine peuvent en reveler davantage sur la maladie et la sante vecues dans l’Empire.

Recent radiocarbon dating of a skeleton from Balevullin, Tiree, excavated in the early twentieth century, demonstrates that it dates to the Neolithic period, rather than the Iron Age as originally expected. Osteological examination suggests that the individual was a young adult woman, exhibiting osteological deformities consistent with vitamin D deficiency, most likely deriving from childhood rickets; an exceptionally early identification of the disease in the UK with potentially significant social implications. Isotopic analysis supports the osteological evidence for physiological stress in childhood and further suggests that the woman was most probably local to the islands. Analysis of the surviving written archive reveals that the surviving skeleton was one of several originally recovered from the site, making Balevullin an exceptionally rare example of a British Neolithic inhumation cemetery.