Comparison of trace element chemistry in human bones interred in two private chapels attached to Franciscan friaries in Italy and Denmark: an investigation of social stratification in two medieval and post-medieval societies

Abstract

Individuals buried in two 17th-18th Century private chapels, each attached to a Franciscan Friary-one in Italy the other in Denmark-have been studied and sampled for trace element analysis. This selection of individuals allows a comparison of the trace element inventory of members of noble families against friars and townspeople, as well as a comparison between two very similar situations in Denmark and Italy. The relevance of this study is to see if and how differences in social status, and therefore likely differences in dietary habits, are reflected in the trace element chemistry of the bones. Samples of cortical and trabecular tissues have been procured from a long bone, preferentially the femur. The samples have been thoroughly decontaminated. 87 samples from 69 individuals have been analysed for Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Sr, Ba, and Pb by ICP-MS and Hg by CV-AAS. Sex and age at death have been established by anthropological analysis for all members of the two noble families. We find systematic differences between the noble family members and the friars (or townspeople) in both Italy and Denmark. The noble families are in both cases low in Sr and Ba compared to the friars and townspeople, which is interpreted as a dietary signal resulting from higher meat consumption than in the comparative groups. Lead concentrations are found to be higher in the noble family members than in the comparative groups, and the Pb concentration seems to increase with age in the Italian noble family, where both young and middle-aged individuals were investigated. Mercury concentrations are higher in some of the Italian noble family members compared to friars and townspeople; whereas in Denmark it seems that Hg was equally available to the noble family members and the friars alike. This is the first comprehensive and comparative study of post-medieval noble families in Denmark and Italy. The results show that there are distinct similarities in the trace element distribution patterns in the noble family members irrespective of country, which is tentatively suggested to be due to their higher social status.

Trace element distribution in human cortical bone microstructure: the potential for unravelling diet and social status in archaeological bones

“…The radiofrequency power was 1.30 kW, plasma Ar gas flow rate was 16.5 L min −1 , auxiliary gas flow rate was 1.65 L min −1 , and sheath gas flow rate was 0.18 L min −1 . The following isotopes were measured without skimmer gas: 55 Mn, 57 Fe, 63 Cu, 88 Sr, 137 Ba, and 208 Pb. No interference corrections were applied to the selected isotopes.…”

“…Strontium and Ba have been widely used as dietary and provenance indicators [8,25,33,[35][36][37][54][55][56][57]. The use of Sr and Ba concentrations for making inferences about diet was largely abandoned in the late 1980s, being replaced almost entirely by analyses of Sr isotopes.…”

Investigations of the relics and altar materials relating to the apostles St James and St Philip at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome

“…The measurements of the concentrations of the elements Cu, Sr, Ba, and Pb in cortical tissue of the two apostles allow a comparison with other bone analyses. Strontium and Ba can be interpreted as indicators for the diet and therefore possibly also the provenance [72][73][74][75][76][77][78]. In Fig.…”

Historical overview and new directions in bioarchaeological trace element analysis: a review

“…In the twenty-first century, Pb has continued to be an important subject of study, with continued focus on past human Pb exploitation and health (e.g. González-Reimers et al 2003 ; Nakashima et al 2011 ; Montgomery et al 2010 ; Schroeder et al 2013 ; Millard et al 2014 ; Pastorelli et al 2014 ; Stipisic et al 2014 ; Giffin et al 2017 ; Laffoon et al 2019 ; López-Costas et al 2020 ; Rasmussen et al 2020a ; Scott et al 2020 ). In doing so, a well-rounded history of human Pb use and exposure over the past several millennia has begun to emerge, as well as insights into the burden this may have on ancient and historical human health.…”

“…Some of these studies (e.g. González-Reimers et al Szostek et al 2003 ; Busetto et al 2008 ; Corti et al 2013 ; Ïzci et al 2013 ; Bianchi et al 2017 ; Guede et al 2017 ; Bocca et al 2018 ; Rasmussen et al 2020a ) have continued to suggest that elements, such as Ba, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), Sr, and Zn, among others, can be used to make direct inferences about palaeodiet. In doing so, these studies often rely upon the correlational literature from the 1980s to advocate for the use of TE concentrations and ratios to deduce the relative contributions of different dietary constituents, such as terrestrial animal and marine proteins versus plants.…”