Fringes of the empire: diet and cultural change at the Roman to post-Roman transition in NW Iberia

A growing number of paleodiet investigations over recent years have begun to reveal the stark dietary differences that existed between regions of the Roman Empire, as well as significant changes in subsistence strategies after its fall. The present study explores the dietary changes at the Roman to post-Roman (Germanic) transition in the Northwest Iberian Peninsula, in order to improve our understanding of the changes that occurred at end of the Roman Empire in different regions across Europe and to also consider the influence of climate had on them. The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope investigation in bone collagen from A Lanzada, NW Spain (100–700 AD), which was an important commercial, coastal settlement has been presented. A human sample of 59 individuals, 6 of them subadults, is compared with 31 faunal specimens, which include a number of marine fish. Isotope data for the terrestrial fauna reveal the influence of the sea on the local isotope baseline. Analysis of the human samples indicates a mixed marine-terrestrial diet. A shift in mean human δ13C values from −16.7‰ to −14.3‰ provides clear evidence for a significant change in diet in the post-Roman period, probably through the intensification of both marine resources exploitation and C4-plant consumption (presumably millet). A deterioration of paleoenvironmental conditions, together with a poor socioeconomic situation and the arrival of new people, the Sueves, who brought a new political and socioeconomic system have been discussed as the main causes for the dietary modification in post-Roman times

Linking structural and compositional changes in archaeological human bone collagen: an FTIR-ATR approach

Collagen is the main structural and most abundant protein in the human body, and it is routinely extracted and analysed in scientific archaeology. Its degree of preservation is, therefore, crucial and several approaches are used to determine it. Spectroscopic techniques provide a cost-effective, non-destructive method to investigate the molecular structure, especially when combined with multivariate statistics (chemometric approach). In this study, we used FTIR-ATR spectroscopy to characterise collagen extracted from skeletons recovered from necropoleis in NW Spain spanning from the Bronze Age to eighteenth century AD. Principal components analysis was performed on a selection of bands and structural equation models (SEM) were developed to relate the collagen quality indicators to collagen structural change. Four principal components represented: (i) Cp1, transformations of the backbone protein with a residual increase in proteoglycans; (ii) Cp2, protein transformations not accompanied by changes in proteoglycans abundance; (iii) Cp3, variations in aliphatic side chains and (iv) Cp4, absorption of the OH of carbohydrates and amide. Highly explanatory SEM models were obtained for the traditional collagen quality indicators (collagen yield, C, N, C:N), but no relationship was found between quality and δ13C and δ15N ratios. The observed decrease in C and N content and increase in C:N ratios is controlled by the degradation of protein backbone components and the relative preservation of carbon-rich compounds, proteoglycans and, to a lesser extent, aliphatic moieties. Our results suggest that FTIR-ATR is an ideal technique for collagen characterization/pre-screening for palaeodiet, mobility and radiocarbon researchThis research was partially funded by the projects “Galician Paleodiet” (ED481D 2017/014), Consiliencia network (ED 431D2017/08), GPC (ED341B 2018/20) and “Antropoloxía dos restos óseos humanos de Galicia” (Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio Histórico), Xunta de Galicia. OLC is funded by Plan Galego I2C mod.B (ED481D 2017/014) and by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (JIN project PID2019-111683RJ-100)S

Biological histories of an elite: Skeletons from the Royal Chapel of Lugo Cathedral (NW Spain)

Direccion Xeral de Patrimonio Historico de Galicia; Xunta de Galicia, Grant/Award Numbers: ED431B 2018/20, ED 431D2017/08, ED481D 2017/014; Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and Beca Leonardo a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2020 de la Fundacion BBVA, Grant/Award Number: PID2019-111683RJ-I00This study aims to reconstruct the biological histories of the people buried at the Royal Chapel of Lugo Cathedral, an important religious center of NW Spain, by using anthropological, geochemical, and historical perspectives. We conducted a macroscopic and radiographic study on 955 skeletal elements, a multi-isotope (δ13Ccol, δ15N, δ34Scol, δ13Cap, δ18Oap) analysis of human (n = 12) and animal (n = 4) samples, and the study of 1407 documents from the cathedral archives. There was a minimum of 15 individuals, including six subadults (<7 years), seven mature males, and one possible female. Several traumatic healed injuries, a pelvis osteochondroma, and a case of DISH have been detected. Males were enriched in 15N (up to 15.7‰, Δhumananimal avg = 5.1‰) suggesting consumption of animal protein including freshwater fish. Cathedral documents reflect fora payments in the form of rye, eggs, poultry, sheep, pigs, and eels as well as the hiring of two physicians. All individuals, except one, lived between the 14th and the early 15th centuries and show characteristics of high standard of living. Males were likely members of the cathedral—chaplains, administrators, sacristans, but not bishops—or noblemen relatives of the former according to preserved documents. Isotopic and paleopathological study suggest that they had an active and traveling life and at least one of them had connections with Central Spain. Children were local and possibly connected to the nobility. Lugo Cathedral is a prime example about the possibilities of transdisciplinary research in the identification of lifestyle in past populations.Direccion Xeral de Patrimonio Historico de GaliciaXunta de Galicia European Commission ED431B 2018/20 ED 431D2017/08 ED481D 2017/014Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and Beca Leonardo a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2020 de la Fundacion BBVA PID2019-111683RJ-I0

Eating in silence: Isotopic approaches to nuns’ diet at the convent of Santa Catalina de Siena (Belmonte, Spain) from the sixteenth to the twentieth century

Advances in geochemical and physical anthropological studies have provided new tools to reconstruct ancient lifestyles, especially of those minorities not commonly mentioned in historical texts. In comparison to males, little is known about everyday life in female monastic communities, and how it has changed over time. In this paper, we present a paleodietary (δ13C and δ15N in bone collagen) study of human (n = 58) and animal (n = 13) remains recovered from the former Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena in Belmonte (Cuenca, central Spain). Two funerary areas used by Dominican nuns were sampled: one dated to the sixteenth (n = 34) and the seventeenth (n = 15) centuries, and the other dated in the nineteenth and twentieth (n = 9) centuries. The isotopic values for sheep (n = 7) suggest the animals consumed at the convent came from diverse ecosystems or were raised under a range of management strategies. The human samples reflect a terrestrial diet, and those from the nineteenth to twentieth century, in some cases, reveal the presence of C4 plants (millet, corn or sugar cane). Due to their religious practice, the consumption of terrestrial animal protein was restricted, and although they were allowed to eat fish, the isotopic signatures show little evidence of this. The individuals from the sixteenth and seventeenth century show a continuous shift in δ15N (9.7–12.7‰), with few significant differences in relation to the period, age, or pathologies (osteoporosis, periostitis, and brucellosis). The nineteenth- to twentieth-century samples can be divided into two groups: (a) one that fits the trend of previous centuries, albeit with a higher δ15N, possibly related to extensive access to animal protein; and (b) a second group with elevated δ13C values (up to − 15.7‰). Different customs in the assumed homogeneous monastic life are discussed as possible sources of isotopic variation, including access to luxury products such as animal protein or sugar, or the practice of periods of food abstinence, which were especially popular with these communities, according to historical recordsThe isotopic study was carried out with funding from the CONSILIENCIA network (R2014/001; ED 431D2017/08) of the Consolidation and Structuring Programme of Research Units of the Xunta de Galicia, and a consolidating grant of the Xunta de Galicia for emerging research groups to the group CULXEO (GPC2015/024). OLC is funded by Plan Galego I2C mod.B (ED481D 2017/014)

Approaching mercury distribution in burial environment using PLS‑R modelling

Present research was funded by Estudo de esqueletos humanos e de secuencias edafosedimentarias do xacemento de A Lanzada (2017-CP035) funded by Deputación Provincial de Pontevedra. It was supported by the project Fomentar a actividade investigadora do persoal investigador finalista nas convocatorias de axudas da ERC do H2020 by GAIN (2021-CP052). We thank Deputación de Pontevedra, Museum of Pontevedra and the Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio da Xunta de Galicia for providing access to the archaeological soil samples. Special thanks go to the director or archaeological campaign Rafael Rodríguez Martinez for his support in all studies related to A Lanzada. Thanks to the Ecoloxicoloxía e Ecofisioloxía Vexetal research group and Jesús Aboal as well as to RIAIDT for providing access to equipment facilities. This project is funded by Grupos de Referencia Competitiva (ED431C 2021/32) by Xunta de Galicia. Authors would like to thank the use of RIAIDT-USC analytical facilities. OLC is funded by JIN project (PID2019-111683RJ-I00) Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and Beca Leonardo a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2020 (2020-PO048) de la Fundación BBVA. NAF and ZGL are funded by the project Fomentar a actividade investigadora do persoal investigador finalista nas convocatorias de axudas da ERC do H2020 by GAIN (2021-CP052).Mercury environmental cycle and toxicology have been widely researched. Given the long history of mercury pollution, researching mercury trends in the past can help to understand its behaviour in the present. Archaeological skeletons have been found to be useful sources of information regarding mercury loads in the past. In our study we applied a soil multi-sampling approach in two burials dated to the 5th to 6th centuries AD. PLRS modelling was used to elucidate the factors controlling mercury distribution. The model explains 72% of mercury variance and suggests that mercury accumulation in the burial soils is the result of complex interactions. The decomposition of the bodies not only was the primary source of mercury to the soil but also responsible for the pedogenetic transformation of the sediments and the formation of soil components with the ability to retain mercury. The amount of soft tissues and bone mass also resulted in differences between burials, indicating that the skeletons were a primary/secondary source of mercury to the soil (i.e. temporary sink). Within burial variability seems to depend on the proximity of the soil to the thoracic area, where the main mercury target organs were located. We also conclude that, in coarse textured soils, as the ones studied in this investigation, the finer fraction (i.e. silt + clay) should be analysed, as it is the most reactive and the one with the higher potential to provide information on metal cycling and incipient soil processes. Finally, our study stresses the need to characterise the burial soil environment in order to fully understand the role of the interactions between soil and skeleton in mercury cycling in burial contexts.Deputación Provincial de PontevedraERC do H2020Estudo de esqueletos humanos e de secuencias edafosedimentarias do xacemento de A Lanzada 2017-CP035JIN PID2019-111683RJ-I00Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion 2020-PO048Fundación BBVAAxencia Galega de Innovación 2021-CP052, ED431C 2021/32Xunta de Galici

Structural equation modelling of mercury intra-skeletal variability on archaeological human remains

Archaeological burial environments are useful archives to investigate the long-term trends and the behaviour of mercury. In order to understand the relationship between mercury, skeletons and soil, we applied Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to a detailed, multisampling (n = 73 bone samples +37 soil samples) design of two archaeological graves dating to the 6th to 7th centuries CE (A Lanzada site, NW Spain). Mercury content was assessed using a DMA-80, and data about bone structure and the grave soil/sediments were obtained using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The theoretical model is supported by proxies of bone structure, grave soil/sediments, and location of the bone within the skeleton. The general model explained 61 % of mercury variance. Additionally, Partial Least Square – Prediction Oriented Segmentation (PLS-POS) was also used to check for segmentation in the dataset. POS revealed two group of samples depending on the bone phase (hydroxyapatite or collagen) controlling the Hg content, and the corresponding models explained 86 % and 76 % of Hg variance, respectively. The results suggest that mercury behaviour in the graves is complex, and that mercury concentrations were influenced by i) the ante-mortem status of the bone matrix, related to the weight of each bone phase; ii) post-mortem evolution of bone crystallinity, where bone loses mercury with increasing alteration; and iii) the proximity of the skeletal pieces to mercury target organs, as decomposition and collapse of the thoracic and abdominal soft tissues causes a secondary mercury enrichment in bones from the body trunk during early post-mortem. Skeletons provide a source of mercury to the soil whereas soil/sediments contribute little to skeletal mercury contentPresent research was funded by Estudo de esqueletos humanos e de secuencias edafosedimentarias do xacemento de A Lanzada (2017-CP035) funded by Deputación Provincial de Pontevedra. The study was also supported by the projects “Pollutio” Plan Nacional (PID2019-111683RJ-I00) Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, “Epidemias del hambre” Beca Leonardo a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2020 (2020-PO048) de la Fundación BBVA and “Grupos de Referencia Competitiva” (ED431C 2021/32) by Xunta de Galicia. NAF was funded by Convenio de Colaboración entre a Axencia Galega de Innovación, a Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Universidade, a USC e CSIC para fomentar a actividade Investigadora do persoal investigador finalista nas convocatorias de axudas do ERC no Marco do H2020. OLC is funded by a Ramón y Cajal senior fellowship (RYC2020-030531-I)S

Islamic funerary archaeology in Catalonia and the province of Castellón. A state of affairs

El presente trabajo ofrece una síntesis de los conocimientos arqueológicos e históricos sobre el poblamiento andalusí mediante un inventario de hallazgos funerarios en Cataluña, con la provincia de Castellón como referente de comparación. Se presentan nuevos datos relativos a hallazgos aún inéditos de los yacimientos de Plà de Almatà (Balaguer) y la Vall d’Uixó (Castellón). Cataluña formaba parte de la Frontera Superior de al-Andalus, por lo que desarrolló unas características de poblamiento diferentes al resto del šarq al-Andalus, representado por la provincia de Castellón. Para investigar estas características, la arqueología funeraria y la antropología física aportan herramientas de gran utilidad. Aunque los aspectos tafonómicos y las oportunidades de excavación han influenciado el registro funerario disponible, los procesos históricos no deben desvincularse. Para este trabajo, se ha realizado un inventario exhaustivo y un análisis de los datos disponibles de estas regiones con el objetivo de interpretar el registro disponible y ofrecer una síntesis útil para las investigaciones futuras.This paper presents a review of the archaeological and historical knowledge on Andalusian settlement in Catalonia as obtained through the funerary record. A comparison is also made with the province of Castellón. This study also contains new data regarding the cemetery of Plà de Almatà (Balaguer) and cemeteries from Vall d’Uixó (Castellón). Catalonia was part of the Upper Frontier of al-Andalus, and as such its settlement patterns were different to the rest of Šarq al-Andalus, represented by the province of Catellón. Funerary archaeology and physical anthropology provide useful and unique tools to study these features and patterns. Although taphonomic aspects of skeletal preservation and the amount of excavation activity have influenced the available funerary record, historical processes cannot be overlooked. For this current study, an exhaustive review of the literature and available data from these regions has been undertaken with the aim of providing a broader interpretation of the period and recommendations for future research

Food, Mobility, and Health in a 17th and 18th Century Arctic Mining Population in Silbojokk, Swedish Sápmi

Established in 1635, the silver mine of Nasafjäll and the smeltery site in Silbojokk in Swedish Sápmi were used during several phases until the late 19th century. Excavations in Silbojokk, c. 40 km from Nasafjäll, have revealed buildings such as a smeltery, living houses, a bakery, and a church with a churchyard. From the beginning, both local and non-local individuals worked at the mine and the smeltery. Non-locals were recruited to work in the mine and at the smeltery, and the local Sámi population was recruited to transport the silver down to the Swedish coast. Females, males, and children of different ages were represented among the individuals buried at the churchyard in Silbojokk, which was used between c. 1635 and 1770. Here we study diet, mobility, and exposure to lead (Pb) in the smeltery workers, the miners, and the local population. By employing isotopic analysis, δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, 87Sr/86Sr and elemental analysis, we demonstrate that individuals in Silbojokk had a homogenous diet, except for two individuals. In addition, both local and non-local individuals were all exposed to Pb, which in some cases could have been harmful to their health.&nbsp;La mine d’argent de Nasafjäll et la fonderie de Silbojokk dans le territoire Sápmi en Suède ont été établies en 1635. Elles ont fait l’objet de plusieurs phases d’utilisation jusque vers la fin du 19e siècle. Des fouilles effectuées à Silbojokk, à une quarantaine de kilomètres de Nasafjäll, ont permis de découvrir des structures comme une fonderie, des maisons d’habitation, une boulangerie ainsi qu’une église et un cimetière. Dès le début, des gens de la région ou d’ailleurs ont travaillé à la mine et à la fonderie. Des gens d’ailleurs ont été recrutés pour travailler à la mine et à la fonderie, tandis que la population locale de Sámis a été engagée pour transporter l’argent sur la côte suédoise. Femmes, hommes et enfants d’âges différents figurent parmi les personnes enterrées au cimetière de Silbojokk, utilisé entre les années 1635 et 1770 environ. Ici, nous étudions le régime alimentaire, la mobilité et l’exposition au plomb (Pb) des ouvriers de la fonderie, des mineurs et de la population locale. À l’aide d’une analyse isotopique, δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, 87Sr/86Sr et de l’analyse des éléments, nous démontrons que les personnes de Silbojokk avaient un régime homogène, sauf deux d’entre elles. De plus, les gens de la région et d’ailleurs ont tous été exposés au Pb, ce qui aurait pu nuire à la santé de certains.&nbsp

Lake and crannog : A 2500-year palaeoenvironmental record of continuity and change in NE Scotland

Acknowledgements Special acknowledgements go to Audrey Innes for her laboratory support, to Laura McHardie who originally extracted the core with Michael J. Stratigos. Thanks are owed to the Leys Estate and the then Estate Manager Thys Simpson for allowing access, help in taking the core and overall support for work in the former loch. Thanks to the Hunter Archaeological and Historical Trust who funded the fieldwork. The article was written as part of the Leverhulme Trust funded project ‘Comparative Kingship: the early Medieval kingdoms of Northern Britain and Ireland’ (Grant RG13876-10). Authors would like to thank the use of RIAIDT-USC analytical facilities. OLC is funded by JIN project (PID2019-111683RJ-I00) Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion and Beca Leonardo a Investigadores y Creadores Culturales 2020 de la Fundación BBVA. open access via Elsevier agreementPeer reviewedPublisher PD