How Does Diet Influence Our Lives? Evaluating the Relationship between Isotopic Signatures and Mortality Patterns in Italian Roman Imperial and Medieval Periods

Abstract

The present research investigates the relationship between dietary habits and mortality patterns in the Roman Imperial and Medieval periods. The reconstructions of population dynamics and subsistence strategies provide a fascinating source of information for understanding our history. This is particularly true given that the changes in social, economic, political, and religious aspects related to the transition from the Roman period to the Middle Ages have been widely discussed. We analyzed the isotopic and mortality patterns of 616 individuals from 18 archeological sites (the Medieval Latium sites of Colonna, Santa Severa, Allumiere, Cencelle, and 14 Medieval and Imperial funerary contexts from Rome) to compile a survivorship analysis. A semi-parametric approach was applied, suggesting variations in mortality patterns between sexes in the Roman period. Nitrogen isotopic signatures influenced mortality in both periods, showing a quadratic and a linear effect for Roman Imperial and Medieval populations, respectively. No influence of carbon isotopic signatures has been detected for Roman Imperial populations. Conversely, increased mortality risk for rising carbon isotopic values was observed in Medieval samples.

A Bayesian multi-proxy contribution to the socioeconomic, political, and cultural history of late medieval Capitanata (southern Italy)

“…Also a few elderly individuals over sixty were identified. Non-adults of all age groups were underrepresented, which is a common trait of medieval populations in Italy 77 . Supplementary Information File S2 provides additional detail on biological sex and age at death distributions in Tertiveri.…”

Special Issue “Applications of Stable Isotope Analysis”

“…This Special Issue aims to provide an updated view and highlight the advances in the application of stable isotope analysis (SIA) in the different fields of chemistry. It includes five research articles and two review papers dealing with the use of this technique in geochemical [ 2 , 3 ], archaeological [ 4 , 5 , 6 ], environmental [ 7 ], and food [ 4 , 8 ] studies.…”

“…SIA in the archaeological field has evolved as a result of the close relationship of this discipline with geology and geochemistry. In this regard, Baldoni et al [ 4 ], Skippington et al [ 5 ] and Connolly et al [ 6 ] applied these tools in archaeology-related studies. Baldoni et al [ 4 ] analysed N and C isotopes to investigate the relationship between dietary habits and mortality patterns in the Roman Imperial and Medieval population of 18 archaeological sites from Italy.…”

“…In this regard, Baldoni et al [ 4 ], Skippington et al [ 5 ] and Connolly et al [ 6 ] applied these tools in archaeology-related studies. Baldoni et al [ 4 ] analysed N and C isotopes to investigate the relationship between dietary habits and mortality patterns in the Roman Imperial and Medieval population of 18 archaeological sites from Italy. Their study suggested variations in survival between sexes in the Roman times (with women of childbirth age experiencing a higher mortality risk).…”