‘To the land or to the sea' : diet and mobility in early medieval Frisia

This study investigated palaeodiet and population mobility in early medieval Frisia through the stable isotope analysis of individuals buried in the fifth–eighth century AD cemetery of Oosterbeintum, a terp site on the northern coast of the Netherlands. The results cast new light on the role of the northern Netherlands in trade and migration in the early medieval period, and have significance for the study of interaction and movement throughout the wider North Sea region. Bone collagen and tooth enamel from humans and animals were analyzed using carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium isotopes. δ13C and δ15N results indicated that the population had a terrestrial, C3-based diet. High δ15N values were observed in humans and fauna, which are probably related to the terp's salt-marsh location. The δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr data revealed a high proportion of non-locals buried at Oosterbeintum, some of whom had probably migrated from regions as distant and varied as Scandinavia and southern England. It is suggested that this immigration may be associated with Frisian maritime trading activities. New data are also presented from a small number of contemporaneous European sites

Comprehensive in vitro and in vivo studies of novel melt-derived Nb-substituted 45S5 bioglass reveal its enhanced bioactive properties for bone healing

The present work presents and discusses the results of a comprehensive study on the bioactive properties of Nb-substituted silicate glass derived from 45S5 bioglass. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed. We undertook three different types of in vitro analyses: (i) investigation of the kinetics of chemical reactivity and the bioactivity of Nb-substituted glass in simulated body fluid (SBF) by 31P MASNMR spectroscopy, (ii) determination of ionic leaching profiles in buffered solution by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and (iii) assessment of the compatibility and osteogenic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) treated with dissolution products of different compositions of Nb-substituted glass. The results revealed that Nb-substituted glass is not toxic to hESCs. Moreover, adding up to 1.3 mol% of Nb2O5 to 45S5 bioglass significantly enhanced its osteogenic capacity. For the in vivo experiments, trial glass rods were implanted into circular defects in rat tibia in order to evaluate their biocompatibility and bioactivity. Results showed all Nb-containing glass was biocompatible and that the addition of 1.3 mol% of Nb2O5, replacing phosphorous, increases the osteostimulation of bioglass. Therefore, these results support the assertion that Nb-substituted glass is suitable for biomedical applications

Trade and Exchange in Anglo-Saxon Wessex, AD 600-780

This paper assesses the provenance and general distribution of coins of the period c 600–c 780 found in the west of Anglo‐Saxon Wessex. It shows that the distribution of coin finds is not a function of the habits of metal detectorists, but a reflection of the real pattern of losses. In the second part of the paper, an analysis of the observed distributions is presented which reveals that the bulk of trade, of which the coins are a sign, was carried on through local ports and that foreign trade was not mediated through Hamwic, but came directly from the continent. The distribution of coin finds also suggests an important export trade, probably in wool and woollen goods, controlled from major local centres. There are also hints of a potentially older trade system in which hillforts and other open sites were important

Horizons marins, itinéraires spirituels (Ve-XVIIIe siècles). Volume II.

Les 26 contributions réunies dans ce volume renouvellent quelques-uns des secteurs de l'histoire maritime, en attirant l'attention sur la méthodologie, les recherches récentes, les problématiques nouvelles, la recherche interdisciplinaire, l'archéologie, l'iconographie et le roman. On suit pendant deux millénaires quelques-uns des nombreux changements qui ont affecté les façades océaniques des cinq continents, en Amérique latine comme à Madagascar et dans l'Océan Indien, sur les rivages de la Méditerranée comme dans le commerce eurasien. Quelques thèmes demeurent privilégiés, les navires et la navigation, les marines de guerre et les politiques navales des États, l'exploitation des littoraux et les installations portuaires, les marchandises et les frets, les tonnages et les mesures, les assurances maritimes. Les marins, voyageurs, pèlerins, missionnaires, marchands, tous ces gens de mer occupent une grande place dans cet ouvrage, qui traite de la famille, de la formation et des apprentissages, de la santé et des maladies professionnelles, des croyances et des genres de vie. Ce volume qui fait toute sa place à l'histoire des mentalités s'honore de multiples contributions internationales et de la collaboration de quelques spécialistes, médecin, architecte naval..., issus des gens de mer

Individual geographic mobility in a Viking-Age emporium—Burial practices and strontium isotope analyses of Ribe’s earliest inhabitants

Individual geographic mobility is a key social dynamic of early Viking-Age urbanization in Scandinavia. We present the first comprehensive geographic mobility study of Scandinavia’s earliest emporium, Ribe, which emerged around AD 700 in the North Sea region of Denmark. This article presents the results of strontium isotope analyses of 21 individuals buried at Ribe, combined with an in-depth study of the varied cultural affinities reflected by the burial practices. In order to investigate geographic mobility in early life/childhood, we sampled multiple teeth and/or petrous bone of individuals, which yielded a total of 43 strontium isotope analyses. Most individuals yielded strontium isotope values that fell within a relatively narrow range, between 87Sr/86Sr = 0.709 to 0.711. Only two individuals yielded values >87Sr/86Sr = 0.711. This suggests that most of these individuals had local origins but some had cultural affinities beyond present-day Denmark. Our results raise new questions concerning our understanding of the social and cultural dynamics behind the urbanization of Scandinavia