Patterns of funerary variability, diet, and developmental stress in a Celtic population from NE Italy (3rd-1st c BC)

Little is known about the types of social organization characterizing the pre-Roman Celtic populations of Italy. Here, we explore the funerary variability characterizing the late Iron Age site of Seminario Vescovile (SV: Verona, Italy, 3rd-1st c. BC), and test its possible correlation to diet and relative exposure to developmental stressors. Patterns on funerary treatment (N = 125), δ13C and δ15N (N = 90), and linear enamel hypoplasia (N = 47) from SV are compared, and their possible association with sex and age-at-death further discussed. Results point to the presence at SV of variable funerary customs while at the same time demonstrating a rather homogenous diet and exposure to developmental stressors: funerary treatment is mainly correlated to age-at-death but do not appear to be associated to either isotopic patterns or hypoplasia frequencies. Accordingly, even if some weak social differentiation may have characterized the individuals buried at SV, this was not reflected in markedly differing living conditions. Our study is the first to attempt an exploration of the links between age, sex, funerary variability, and diet in a pre-Roman Celtic community from Italy. While highlighting the potential of a multifaceted approach in bioarcheology, it also points to a series of analytical and theoretical issues relevant when trying to disentangle the cultural and biological dimensions of social differentiation in the past

Patterns of funerary variability, diet, and developmental stress in a Celtic population from NE Italy (3rd-1st c BC)

Little is known about the types of social organization characterizing the pre-Roman Celtic populations of Italy. Here, we explore the funerary variability characterizing the late Iron Age site of Seminario Vescovile (SV: Verona, Italy, 3rd-1st c. BC), and test its possible correlation to diet and relative exposure to developmental stressors. Patterns on funerary treatment (N = 125), δ13C and δ15N (N = 90), and linear enamel hypoplasia (N = 47) from SV are compared, and their possible association with sex and age-at-death further discussed. Results point to the presence at SV of variable funerary customs while at the same time demonstrating a rather homogenous diet and exposure to developmental stressors: funerary treatment is mainly correlated to age-at-death but do not appear to be associated to either isotopic patterns or hypoplasia frequencies. Accordingly, even if some weak social differentiation may have characterized the individuals buried at SV, this was not reflected in markedly differing living conditions. Our study is the first to attempt an exploration of the links between age, sex, funerary variability, and diet in a pre-Roman Celtic community from Italy. While highlighting the potential of a multifaceted approach in bioarcheology, it also points to a series of analytical and theoretical issues relevant when trying to disentangle the cultural and biological dimensions of social differentiation in the past

Exploring diet in an isolated medieval rural community of Northern Iberia: The case study of San Baudelio de Berlanga (Soria, Spain)

This study received financial support from Research Project HAR2016-75788-P of Spanish Government. The authors are grateful to Prof. J.A. Quirós Castillo (University of Basque Country) for the animal bones from the San Martín de Lantarón site; to Richard Davies for assistance with the English version; to Profs. Rafael Martínez (University of Granada), and Marco Milella (University of Bern) for preparing Figs. 3 and 4, respectively. Many thanks also to the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their careful reading and suggestions.A medieval osteological sample (n = 20) from the isolated rural community of San Baudelio de Berlanga (Soria, N-Spain) was studied using paleopathological and stable isotope analyses. The necropolis was initially dated by archeologists between the XI and XII centuries AD and contains 57 individuals. The main objective of this study was to investigate the diet and the chronology of these individuals to improve the understanding not only of the diet but also of the population dynamics in an isolated rural site. The isotopic composition of their rib bone collagen was determined. δ15N values ranged between 9.3‰ and 11.5‰, with a mean of 10.3 + 0.5‰ (AIR), while δ13C values ranged between −17.6‰ and −19.0‰ with a mean of −18.2 + 0.4‰ (V-PDB). Radiocarbon results dated the individuals to between the XI and mid-XIII century. The stable isotopic results suggest a mixed terrestrial diet dominated by C3 cereals but including also animal products (e.g. meat and dairy products). Isotopic differences between sexes may be related more closely to social (patrilineal pattern of pairing) and biodemographical (lower female life expectancy) factors than dietary gender differences.Spanish Government HAR-2016-75788-

Social differentiation and well‑being in the Italian Iron Age: exploring the relationship between sex, age, biological stress, and burial complexity among the Picenes of Novilara (8th–7th c. BC)

The restoration of the archaeological finds from Novilara was performed in the frame of the "Progetto di restauro degli oggetti di corredo rinvenuti nella necropoli picena di Novilara" (Swiss Federal Office of Culture) and with the additional financial support of Fondazione Scavolini (Italy).The possible association between “biological” and “social” status in the past is a central topic in bioarchaeological studies. For the Italian Iron Age, previous research comparing skeletal and funerary variables depicts a multifaceted scenario consistent with nuanced biocultural patterns. This calls for additional studies on a broader series of archaeological contexts and skeletal assemblages. Here, we contribute new data about the biological correlates of social differentiation during the Italian Iron Age by comparing paleopathological and funerary variables in the Picene necropolis of Novilara (Marche region, 8th–7th c. BC). Novilara is one of the largest Picene necropolises in the Italian Peninsula and one of the most important funerary sites of the Italian Iron Age. The skeletal sample includes 147 individuals (females: 70; males: 35; 10 unsexed adults; 32 non-adults). We use linear enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, non-specific periosteal lesions, and stature to approximate non-specific stressors and compare them with archaeological variables summarizing funerary variability by means of logistic models, Mann–Whitney and Spearman tests. Results are heterogeneous and vary according to the considered variables. On average, they however show that (a) adults featuring a more complex funerary treatment have a lower probability of showing stress-related skeletal changes, and (b) even though funerary features suggests a strong gender differentiation, frequencies of paleopathological variables do not differ between sexes. Our analyses point to a complex link between biological and social status in this population and call for a critical reflection about the theoretical and methodological issues affecting similar studies.Fondazione Scavolini (Italy

"Celts" up and down the Alps. A multi-isotopic exploration of mobility among the pre-Roman population of Verona (NE Italy, 3rd -1st c. BCE)

During the Late Iron Age (4th-1st centuries BCE) Europe was interested by intense migratory processes across the Alps. In this period, several "Celtic" populations settled in the Italian peninsula. So far, only scarce data are available about mobility in these communities. In this work, we explore mobility patterns among the Cenomani population of Seminario Vescovile (SV-Verona, Italy, 3rd-1st c. BCE) through a multi-isotopic perspective and test the possible correlation between mobility, sex, age and funerary treatment. We analyzed isotopic ratios of oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) from bone phosphate and collagen, respectively, of 49 individuals (23 males, 17 females and 9 nonadults). We also compared collagen δ13C from bone and dentine of 26 individuals. We assessed nonlocality based on individual deviation of isotopic values from the population mean plus three times the median absolute deviation from the median (±3MAD). We then checked for isotopic differences between sexes and type of funerary treatment using Mann-Whitney tests. A nonlocal origin can be proposed for one individual and cautiously suggested for five more individuals. No statistical difference separates sex nor funerary treatment based on isotopic values. Results highlight a local origin of most of the individuals of SV with few individuals that may point to an Alpine origin. The degree of mobility at SV is lower compared with other contemporaneous sites of Europe, a result that can be attributed to chronological and social factors but also to methodological differences with previous studies

“Celts” up and down the Alps. Insights on mobility patterns in the pre‐Roman /Celtic population from Verona ( NE Italy, 3rd–1st c. BCE ): A multi‐isotopic approach

OBJECTIVES: The Late Iron Age in continental Europe featured complex demographic processes including, among others, the establishment of transalpine “Celtic” communities on the Italian peninsula between the 4th and 1st centuries BCE. To date, only few data are available about mobility and migration in these populations. Here we explore these topics among the Cenomani of Seminario Vescovile (SV‐Verona, Italy, 3rd–1st c. BCE) through a multi‐isotopic approach and test the possible associations with sex, age and funerary treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed isotopic ratios of oxygen (δ (18)O) and carbon (δ (13)C) from bone phosphate and collagen, respectively, of 49 individuals (23 males, 17 females, and 9 nonadults). In addition, we explored possible intraindividual lifetime changes by comparing collagen δ (13)C from bone and dentine of 26 individuals. We assessed nonlocality based on individual deviation of isotopic values from the population mean plus three times the median absolute deviation from the median (±3MAD). We then checked for isotopic differences between sexes and type of funerary treatment using Mann–Whitney tests. RESULTS: One individual shows isotopic values consistent with a nonlocal origin. Five more individuals may have originated from a different locality. No statistical differences separate sexes and types of funerary treatment. DISCUSSION: Results suggest a local origin of most of the individuals of SV with the few exceptions pointing especially to an Alpine origin. The low frequency of nonlocals at SV suggest a reduced mobility in this population, or the preeminence of short distance movements undetected by our analyses

Dining in Tuva: Social correlates of diet and mobility in Southern Siberia during the 2nd–4th centuries CE

OBJECTIVES: Contemporary archeological theory emphasizes the economic and social complexity of Eurasian steppe populations. As a result, old notions of “nomadic” cultures as homogenously mobile and economically simple are now displaced by more nuanced interpretations. Large part of the literature on diet and mobility among Eurasian pastoralists is focused on the Bronze and Iron Ages. The underrepresentation of more recent contexts hampers a full discussion of possible chronological trajectories. In this study we explore diet and mobility at Tunnug1 (Republic of Tuva, 2nd–4th century CE), and test their correlation with social differentiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compare demographic patterns (by age‐at‐death and sex) of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope ratios (δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and δ(34)S) among 65 humans and 12 animals from Tunnug1 using nonparametric tests and Bayesian modeling. We then compare isotopic data with data on perimortal skeletal lesions of anthropic origin and funerary variables. RESULTS: Our analyses show that: (1) diet at Tunnug1 was largely based on C(4) plants (likely millet) and animal proteins; (2) few individuals were nonlocals, although their geographic origin remains unclarified; (3) no differences in diet separates individuals based on sex and funerary treatment. In contrast, individuals with perimortal lesions show carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios consistent with a diet incorporating a lower consumption of millet and animal proteins. DISCUSSION: Our results confirm the previously described socioeconomic variability of steppe populations, providing at the same time new data about the economic importance of millet in Southern Siberia during the early centuries CE

LA APLICACIÓN DE LOS MÉTODOS DE LA ANTROPOLOGÍA FÍSICA A UN YACIMIENTO ARQUEOLÓGICO: LA MOTILLA DEL AZUER

This paper presents, from a bioarchaeological approach, progress on the application of different analytical methods to the study of anthropological remains from the necropolis of “Motilla del Azuer”. An assessment  of the funeral ritual and the spatial and chronological  organization  of the tombs  at the site is  done. Until now, there has been made complete  paleodemographical analysis,  dental  anthropology  studies,  and  an evaluation  of the  different  pathologies  of the population.  We have paid special  attention  to the activity  patterns  documented  from muscle attachments. There has also been studying the diets of people in the site through the analysis of trace  elements  and  stable  isotopes.Desde un enfoque bioarqueológico se presenta en este trabajo un avance de la aplicación de diferentes métodos analíticos al estudio de los restos antropológicos procedentes de la necrópolis  de  la Motilla  del Azuer,  al tiempo  que se realiza  una valoración  del ritual  fune- rario y la organización  espacial y cronológica de las tumbas. Hasta este momento se ha realizado  un completo  análisis  paleodemográf ico, así como  estudios  de antropología  dental y una valoración de las diversas patologías de la población. También se ha prestado especial atención  a  los  patrones  de  actividad  documentados  a  partir  de  las  inserciones  musculares. Por  último  se  ha  realizado  un  estudio  sobre  las  dietas  de  los  habitantes  del  yacimiento  a partir del análisis de elementos traza y de isótopos estables

Posibles casos de tuberculosis y brucelosis en poblados argáricos de Galera (Granada)

One of the main characteristics of Bronze Age Argaric populations of Granada is an agricultural and livestock economy in which animals were present within the settlements. Such presence is a factor in the increase of the risk of contagious diseases. In this study we present some cases that could be linked to animal-transmitted infectious diseases due that have been documented at the sites of Castellón Alto and Fuente Amarga, both located in Galera (province of Granada). At these sites four individuals have been identified with new bone formations in the thorax (scapulae and ribs) that can indicate the presence of tuberculosis. At Fuente Amarga another individual presents a characteristic lesion in the vertebral column linked to brucellosis (vertebral epiphysitis). These features are not uncommon in populations that have close contact with animals.Una de las características principales de las poblaciones argáricas de la Edad del Bronce de Granada es la existencia de una economía agropecuaria con la presencia de animales dentro de los núcleos poblacionales, lo que supone un riesgo de contagio. En este estudio se presentan unos casos atribuibles a dos enfermedades infecciosas de esta índole hallados en los poblados de Castellón Alto y Fuente Amarga, ambos en Galera (provincia de Granada). En estos yacimientos se han detectado cuatro sujetos que muestran formaciones de hueso nuevo en el tórax (escápulas y costillas) que pueden ser indicativas de tuberculosis y además, en Fuente Amarga, un individuo presenta una lesión característica en la columna vertebral atribuible a brucelosis (epifisitis vertebral). Estos procesos no son de extrañar en poblaciones que tuvieron un contacto estrecho con animales

La población infantil de la Motilla del Azuer: Un estudio bioarqueológico

Our main goal in this paper is the analysis of children through funerary record at the archaeological Bronze Age site of La Motilla del Azuer, Daimiel, in La Mancha area. We have chosen a settlement with high-quality archaeological and anthropological data, and a precise methodology of excavation, documentation and contextualization allow us to formulate cultural hypothesis and understand the roles of different members of the social group, not only due to sex and age identities but also to economic and social positions.Nuestro principal objetivo en este texto es el análisis de la población infantil a través del registro funerario del yacimiento arqueológico de la Edad del Bronce de la Motilla del Azuer, situada en Daimiel, en la región de La Mancha. Se ha seleccionado un yacimiento que posee datos antropológicos adecuados y un registro arqueológico solvente, basado en una cuidada metodología de excavación, documentación y contextualización de los restos antropológicos. Todo ello nos permite formular propuestas de carácter cultural y entender los roles que jugaron los diferentes individuos tanto por condicionamientos derivados del sexo y la edad como por causas económicas y sociales