Isotope analyses to explore diet and mobility in a medieval Muslim population at Tauste (NE Spain)

The Islamic necropolis discovered in Tauste (Zaragoza, Spain) is the only evidence that a large Muslim community lived in the area between the 8th and 10th centuries. A multi-isotope approach has been used to investigate the mobility and diet of this medieval Muslim population living in a shifting frontier region. Thirty-one individuals were analyzed to determine δ15N, δ13C, δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr composition. A combination of strontium and oxygen isotope analysis indicated that most individuals were of local origin although three females and two males were non-local. The non-local males would be from a warmer zone whereas two of the females would be from a more mountainous geographical region and the third from a geologically-different area. The extremely high δ15N baseline at Tauste was due to bedrock composition (gypsum and salt). High individual δ15N values were related to the manuring effect and consumption of fish. Adult males were the most privileged members of society in the medieval Muslim world and, as isotope data reflected, consumed more animal proteins than females and young males. © 2017 Guede et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

THE 18O OF PHOSPHATE OF ANCIENT HUMAN BIOGENIC APATITE CAN REALLY BE USED FOR QUANTITATIVE PALAEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTION?

It is well known that the oxygen isotope composition of phosphate apatite (δph) in mammal bones and teeth is strongly correlated to that of the drinking water (δw) ingested by the mammal itself. However, the relation between (δph) and (δw) has to be considered with caution when used for palaeoclimate reconstruction because of the uncertainty of the data. Usually, however, the authors underestimate this problem, that may led to misleading results. On the basis of the phosphate - water data existing in the literature for humans, we estimated that the prediction uncertainty for δw calculated from a new value of δph is on the order of 2.5‰. It means that only in the case the difference between two calculated δw values is higher than about 3- 4‰, the δw values may be considered significantly different. This represents a big limit which cannot be underestimated in the use of human δph for prediction of single δw values and subsequent estimation of palaeotemperature. A similar evaluation would be performed also for other mammals

Seasonal variation in nitrogen isotopic composition of bog plant litter during 3years of field decomposition

In this study, we describe the seasonal variation in 15N abundance in the litter of two Sphagnum species and four vascular plant species during 3years of field decomposition in an Italian Alpine bog. Litter bags were periodically retrieved at the end of summer and winter periods, and the δ15N in residual litter was related to mass loss, litter chemistry, and climatic conditions. In Sphagnum litter, higher rates of decomposition during summer months were associated with an increase of δ15N probably due to the incorporation of microbial organic compounds rich in 15N. The litter of Eriophorum vaginatum and Carex rostrata was characterized by a decrease of δ15N, so that the final signature was significantly lower than in initial litter. On the other hand, the residual litter of Potentilla erecta and Calluna vulgaris was characterized by a final δ15N higher than in initial litter. Our data reported a seasonality of 15N abundance in the residual litter of Sphagnum species, but not in that of vascular plant species, thus highlighting the role of differences in litter chemistr

Seasonal variation in nitrogen isotopic composition of bog plant litter during 3 years of field decomposition

In this study, we describe the seasonal variation in N-15 abundance in the litter of two Sphagnum species and four vascular plant species during 3 years of field decomposition in an Italian Alpine bog. Litter bags were periodically retrieved at the end of summer and winter periods, and the delta N-15 in residual litter was related to mass loss, litter chemistry, and climatic conditions. In Sphagnum litter, higher rates of decomposition during summer months were associated with an increase of delta N-15 probably due to the incorporation of microbial organic compounds rich in N-15. The litter of Eriophorum vaginatum and Carex rostrata was characterized by a decrease of delta N-15, so that the final signature was significantly lower than in initial litter. On the other hand, the residual litter of Potentilla erecta and Calluna vulgaris was characterized by a final delta N-15 higher than in initial litter. Our data reported a seasonality of N-15 abundance in the residual litter of Sphagnum species, but not in that of vascular plant species, thus highlighting the role of differences in litter chemistry

Strontium and oxygen isotopes as indicators of Longobards mobility in Italy. An investigation at Povegliano Veronese

The arrival of the Longobards in Northern Italy in 568 CE marked a period of renewed political stability in the peninsula after the collapse of the Western Roman empire. the trajectory of the spread of Longobards in Italy across the Alps and into the South is known from many literary sources. However, their mobility and residence patterns at a population level remain to be fully understood. Here we present a multi-isotopic analysis (87Sr/86Sr and 18o/16O) of 39 humans and 14 animals buried at the Longobard necropolis of Povegliano Veronese (VR, Italy; 6th—8th century CE), to address mode and tempo of the spread of this population in the peninsula. the geographical location of povegliano Veronese plays a key role: the site lies along the Via Postumia, which was one of the main ancient Roman roads of Northern Italy, representing an important route in post-classical Italy. The integration of isotopic data with the archaeological evidence allowed us to determine the presence of individuals from at least three different regions of origin, building a diachronic map of the dynamics of mobility of this group in northern Italy

RECONSTRUCTING THE LIFE OF AN UNKNOWN MAN – INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

U radu se prikazuje mogućnost i važnost interdisciplinarnog pristupa analizi bioarheološkog materijala humanog podrijetla. prikazuju se podatci dobiveni različitim aspektima biološke antropologije iz otvorenog groba i obradom prisutnih posmrtnih ostataka, dajući priču osobe, muškarca. Primarna antropološka identifi kacija, koja uključuje spol, dob u trenutku smrti i visinu, zajedno s analizom patoloških promjena na kostima i razvijenosti mišićno-koštanih hvatišta, uvijek nam daje obilje podataka, koji su iznimno važni u antropologiji, ali otvaraju i nove vidike arheolozima te povjesničarima. Analiza stabilnih izotopa 13C, 15N, 18O dala je uvid u moguću migraciju osobe, kemijski opis regije u kojoj je istraživani muškarac proveo rano djetinjstvo, kao i obilježja područja gdje je boravio posljednjih godina života. Pomoću višeslojne tomografi je (CT) skeniranja lubanje i uz korištenje računalne tehnike za rekonstrukciju mekotkivnih struktura lica dobiven je prikaz lica analizirane osobe. Općenito, takva je rekonstrukcija korisna u forenzičkom aspektu, a može koristiti, kao u prikazanom slučaju, i za vizualizaciju stvaranja morfološko - antropoloških pokazatelja.The remains of a tomb were discovered below the foundations of the Roman church of “Majka Bozja Gorska” in Lobor in 2002. It was a vaulted tomb carved from a single stone. The narthex of ancient Christian and pre-roman churches often served as the resting place of religious, secular and noble dignitaries, who were credited for founding the church at the time. By anthropological methods, the age, gender, height, pathological changes, tendon and ligament hinges and degree of development were able to be analysed. The stable isotopes of Carbon-13, Nitrogen-15 and Oxygen-18 were analysed and expressed a

Isotope analyses to explore diet and mobility in a medieval Muslim population at Tauste (NE Spain)

The Islamic necropolis discovered in Tauste (Zaragoza, Spain) is the only evidence that a large Muslim community lived in the area between the 8th and 10th centuries. A multi-isotope approach has been used to investigate the mobility and diet of this medieval Muslim population living in a shifting frontier region. Thirty-one individuals were analyzed to determine delta N-15, delta C-13, delta O-18 and Sr-87/Sr-86 composition. A combination of strontium and oxygen isotope analysis indicated that most individuals were of local origin although three females and two males were non-local. The non-local males would be from a warmer zone whereas two of the females would be from a more mountainous geographical region and the third from a geologically-different area. The extremely high delta(15) N baseline at Tauste was due to bedrock composition (gypsum and salt). High individual delta(15) N values were related to the manuring effect and consumption of fish. Adult males were the most privileged members of society in the medieval Muslim world and, as isotope data reflected, consumed more animal proteins than females and young males.Research Group GIU15/34 of the University of the Basque provided support to MO, XM, Country-UPV/EHU, http://www.ehu.eus/es/web/ikerkuntza. IT315-10 Research Group of the Basque Country Government provided support to IG LO MCZ, http://www.hezkuntza.ejgv.euskadi.eus/r43-5553/es/

Bedrock geology affects foliar nutrient status but has minor influence on leaf carbon isotope discrimination across altitudinal gradients

Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) in plant leaves generally decreases with increasing altitude in mountains. Lower foliar Δ13C at high elevation usually is associated with higher leaf mass per area (LMA) in thicker leaves. However, it is unclear if lower foliar Δ13C in high-altitude plants is caused by improved photosynthetic capacity as an effect of higher nutrient, especially nitrogen, content in thicker leaves. We investigated trends of foliar Δ13C in four species, each belonging to a different plant functional type (PFT), across two altitudinal gradients, each on a different bedrock type (carbonate and silicate bedrock, respectively) in a region of the southern Alps (Italy) where the foliar Δ13C was not affected by water limitation. Our objective was to assess whether the altitudinal patterns of foliar Δ13C in relation to leaf morphology and foliar nutrients were conditioned by indirect control of bedrock geology on soil nutrient availability. The foliar Δ13C of the four species was mainly affected by LMA and, secondarily, by stomatal density (SD) but the relative importance of these foliar traits varied among species. Area-based nutrient contents had overall minor importance in controlling C discrimination. Relationships among foliar Δ13C, foliar nutrient content and leaf growth rate strongly depended on soil nutrient availability varying differently across the two gradients. In the absence of water limitation, the foliar Δ13C was primarily controlled by irradiance which can shape anatomical leaf traits, especially LMA and/or SD, whose relative importance in determining C isotope discrimination differed among species and/or PFT. Decreasing foliar Δ13C across altitudinal gradients need not be determined by improved photosynthetic capacity deriving from higher nutrient content in thicker leaves

THE delta18O OF PHOSPHATE OF ANCIENT HUMAN BIOGENIC APATITE CAN REALLY BE USED FOR QUANTITATIVE PALAEOCLIMATE RECONSTRUCTION?

It is well known that the oxygen isotope composition of phosphate apatite (δph) in mammal bones and teeth is strongly correlated to that of the drinking water (δw) ingested by the mammal itself. However, the relation between (δph) and (δw) has to be considered with caution when used for palaeoclimate reconstruction because of the uncertainty of the data. Usually, however, the authors underestimate this problem, that may led to misleading results. On the basis of the phosphate - water data existing in the literature for humans, we estimated that the prediction uncertainty for δw calculated from a new value of δph is on the order of 2.5‰. It means that only in the case the difference between two calculated δw values is higher than about 3- 4‰, the δw values may be considered significantly different. This represents a big limit which cannot be underestimated in the use of human δph for prediction of single δw values and subsequent estimation of palaeotemperature. A similar evaluation would be performed also for other mammals