Migration and mobility in imperial Rome

Migration to Rome in the Imperial period has been under-researched owing to a dearth of epigraphical and historical evidence, particularly regarding the lower classes. A new set of data has come to light in the form of thousands of skeletons from lower-class cemeteries in Rome's suburbium. Two of these cemeteries, Casal Bertone near the city walls and Castellaccio Europarco in an agricultural area of the Roman suburbs, yielded 183 skeletons for osteological analysis. Combined strontium and oxygen isotope analyses of a subsample of 55 individuals isolated 20 people who came to Rome following a birth elsewhere. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of the same sample population demonstrated that there were significant differences between the childhood diet of immigrants to Rome and that of the locals. Immigrants were more likely to have consumed diets with significant amounts of the C4 plant millet. Prevalence of skeletal and dental diseases, however, were not significantly different between the immigrant and local populations. Mobility in Imperial Rome can thus be characterized from isotope analyses as long-distance migration from the provinces as well as movement of individuals within the Italian peninsula. The biological identification of immigrants to Rome in the absence of historical and epigraphical data is a significant first step towards a new understanding of who migrants were, where they came from, and what experiences they had upon arrival in the Imperial capital

Kristina Killgrove's Quick Files

The Quick Files feature was discontinued and it’s files were migrated into this Project on March 11, 2022. The file URL’s will still resolve properly, and the Quick Files logs are available in the Project’s Recent Activity

Biohistory of the Roman Republic: The potential of isotope analysis of human skeletal remains

The Republican era of Roman power was characterized by massive wars and population unrest. Vagaries in politics and economics meant that large numbers of people moved from rural to urban areas, and influxes of slaves from around the Mediterranean flooded Italy. The lives of these immigrants to Rome are not well understood from the historical record. This article presents results of a small study of human skeletal remains from a Republican-era cemetery in the suburbs of Rome and discusses the potential for osteological and biochemical analyses for understanding the demography of the city.final article publishedJournal Articl

Roman Osteology Database - Two Cemeteries from Imperial Rome

<p>This database represents a collection of osteological and biochemical information from two Imperial-era skeletal collections (Casal Bertone and Castellaccio Europarco) from Rome. Data collection was accomplished between 2007-2009.</p> <p>In the database, you will find basic demographic information (age and sex), an inventory of each skeleton, measurements, skeletal pathology data, records of teeth examined and their pathological conditions, and results of all biochemical analyses undertaken to date (C, N, O, Sr, Pb isotopes; Pb and Sr concentration). No information on the archaeological context of the skeletons (e.g., provenience, grave goods, etc.) is included in this database, as that information is the purview of the Archaeological Superintendency of Rome.</p> <p><b>I'm suggesting a CC BY-NC-SA license for these data -- that is, feel free to use the data as you see fit for your academic publications; I just ask that you credit me appropriately. For a synthesis of data from different sites, citation is fine. If you're interested in analyzing unpublished data, like dental pathology, I would appreciate co-authorship.</b></p> <p>To find my own analyses and interpretations, or to get additional context, please see the relevant publications at the link below. If you don't have access to them, I will gladly send you a copy of anything published or under review.</p> <p>I have photographs of skeletons and pathologies that you can request if needed.</p> <p>Don't hesitate to contact me for more information, to ask about research that's been done with these collections, or to suggest a paper that we could collaborate on - killgrove @ uwf . edu.</p> <p>---</p> <p>Publications from these data:</p> <p>[Pathology Data]</p> <p>Killgrove, K. In press. Imperialism and physiological stress in Rome (1st-3rd centuries AD). In: Bioarchaeology of Contact, Colonialism, and Imperialism, H. Klaus and M. Murphy, eds. University Press of Florida.</p> <p>[Stature Data]</p> <p>Killgrove, K. In press. Using skeletal remains as a proxy for Roman health: the potential and problems with palaeopathology, biochemistry, and postcranial morphology. In: Diet and Nutrition in the Roman World, C. Holleran and P. Erdkamp, eds. Routledge.</p> <p>[Sr and O Data]</p><p>Killgrove, K. and J. Montgomery. 2016. All Roads Lead to Rome: Exploring Human Migration to the Eternal City through Biochemistry of Skeletons from Two Imperial-Era Cemeteries (1st-3rd c AD). PLOS One 11(2): e0147585. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0147585.</p> <p>Killgrove, K. 2013. Biohistory of the Roman Republic: the potential of isotope analysis of human skeletal remains. Post-Classical Archaeologies 3: 41-62.</p> <p>Killgrove, K. 2010. Identifying immigrants to Imperial Rome using strontium isotope analysis. In Roman Diasporas: Archaeological Approaches to Mobility and Diversity in the Roman Empire, H. Eckardt, ed. Journal of Roman Archaeology supplement 78, Chapter 9, pp. 157-174.</p> <p>Killgrove, K. 2010. Migration and Mobility in Imperial Rome. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina. [Also includes relevant bibliography on the archaeological context of the cemeteries.]</p> <p>[C and N Data]</p> <p>Killgrove, K. and R.H. Tykot. 2013. Food for Rome: a stable isotope investigation of diet in the Imperial period (1st-3rd centuries AD). Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 32(1): 28-38. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2012.08.002.</p> <p>[Pb Data]</p> <p>Montgomery, J., J. Evans, S. Chenery, V. Pashley, K. Killgrove. 2010. “Gleaming, white and deadly”: lead exposure and geographic origins in the Roman period. In Roman Diasporas: Archaeological Approaches to Mobility and Diversity in the Roman Empire, H. Eckardt, ed. Journal of Roman Archaeology supplement 78, Chapter 11, pp. 199-226.</p> <p>[Nonmetric Trait Data]</p> <p>Killgrove, K. Submitted. Using biological distance techniques to investigate the heterogeneous population of Imperial Rome. Manuscript submitted for edited volume, The Archaeology of Circulation, Exchange, and Human Migration, D. Peterson and J. Dudgeon, eds.</p> <p>---</p> <p>Questions should be directed to me at [email protected].</p

All Roads Lead to Rome: Exploring Human Migration to the Eternal City through Biochemistry of Skeletons from Two Imperial-Era Cemeteries (1st-3rd c AD)

Migration within the Roman Empire occurred at multiple scales and was engaged in both voluntarily and involuntarily. Because of the lengthy tradition of classical studies, bioarchaeological analyses must be fully contextualized within the bounds of history, material culture, and epigraphy. In order to assess migration to Rome within an updated contextual framework, strontium isotope analysis was performed on 105 individuals from two cemeteries associated with Imperial Rome—Casal Bertone and Castellaccio Europarco—and oxygen and carbon isotope analyses were performed on a subset of 55 individuals. Statistical analysis and comparisons with expected local ranges found several outliers who likely immigrated to Rome from elsewhere. Demographics of the immigrants show men and children migrated, and a comparison of carbon isotopes from teeth and bone samples suggests the immigrants may have significantly changed their diet. These data represent the first physical evidence of individual migrants to Imperial Rome. This case study demonstrates the importance of employing bioarchaeology to generate a deeper understanding of a complex ancient urban center

Food for Rome: A stable isotope investigation of diet in the Imperial Period (1st–3rd centuries AD

During the Empire, the population of Rome was composed mostly of lower-class free citizens and slaves. Viewed from historical records, the Roman diet included primarily olives, wine, and wheat, but poor and enslaved Romans may have eaten whatever they were able to find and afford, leading to significant heterogeneity in the Roman diet. Previous carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of skeletons from Imperial Italy have begun to reveal variation in diet, but little is known about what people ate in the capital city. This study complements previous work by adding new isotope data from human skeletons found in two Imperial-period (1st–3rd centuries AD) cemeteries in Rome. These data suggest that urban and suburban diets differed, most notably in the consumption of the C4 grain millet. Comparing these new data with all published palaeodietary data from Imperial Italy demonstrates that significant variation existed in the diet of the common people.final article publishedJournal Articl