Exploring mobility in Italian Neolithic and Copper Age communities

Abstract

As a means for investigating human mobility during late the Neolithic to the Copper Age in central and southern Italy, this study presents a novel dataset of enamel oxygen and carbon isotope values (δ18Oca and δ13Cca) from the carbonate fraction of biogenic apatite for one hundred and twenty-six individual teeth coming from two Neolithic and eight Copper Age communities. The measured δ18Oca values suggest a significant role of local sources in the water inputs to the body water, whereas δ13Cca values indicate food resources, principally based on C3 plants. Both δ13Cca and δ18Oca ranges vary substantially when samples are broken down into local populations. Statistically defined thresholds, accounting for intra-site variability, allow the identification of only a few outliers in the eight Copper Age communities, suggesting that sedentary lifestyle rather than extensive mobility characterized the investigated populations. This seems to be also typical of the two studied Neolithic communities. Overall, this research shows that the investigated periods in peninsular Italy differed in mobility pattern from the following Bronze Age communities from more northern areas.

Isotopic evidence for population dynamics in the Central Italian Copper Age and Bronze Age

“…Overall, EBA data are more scattered than CA values, supporting the few isotopic studies about mobility for Italian prehistoric communities, suggestive for the development of a mobile behaviour starting from the BA [25][26][27] .…”

“…So far, the in-depth analysis of the individuals buried in La Sassa appears pivotal in broadening the knowledge about the population dynamics occurring in that area at the CA/BA boundary. 25 found evidence of a sedentary lifestyle rather than extensive mobility in Central Italian CA burials, like pointed out in some Southern Italian sites 26 .…”

“…To date, the mobility in Italian CA and BA communities has only been partially explored through Sr and O isotopic analysis. Recently, De Angelis and colleagues 25 found evidence of a sedentary lifestyle rather than extensive mobility in Central Italian CA burials, like pointed out in some Southern Italian sites 26 .…”

“…A theoretical terrestrial endpoint at -20.5‰ ± 0.9 was estimated (-21.5‰ adjusted to +1‰ for fractionation processes due to prey-predator relationship) from the mean δ 13 C value of terrestrial fauna. In the same way, a theoretical marine endpoint of about -12.6‰ ± 3.0 25,71,72 was estimated. The theoretical thresholds for δ 15 N accounting for animal protein consumption were calculated adjusting for 4‰ the average faunal δ 15 N value (5.7‰± 1.5).…”

A multi-proxy bioarchaeological approach reveals new trends in Bronze Age diet in Italy

“…Isotopic studies in Italy show no evidence of C 4 plant consumption for the Neolithic 65 , 71 , 72 , 98 – 105 , even if doubtful consumption seems to have been recorded in some individuals at Mora Cavorso 106 . Neither were millets commonly consumed during the Eneolithic 106 – 110 . Even if an enrichment in 13 C could be induced by several causes, i.e.…”