Intense community dynamics in the pre-Roman frontier site of Fermo (ninth–fifth century BCE, Marche, central Italy) inferred from isotopic data 

Abstract

The Early Iron Age in Italy (end of the tenth to the eighth century BCE) was characterized by profound changes which influenced the subsequent political and cultural scenario in the peninsula. At the end of this period people from the eastern Mediterranean (e.g. Phoenicians and Greek people) settled along the Italian, Sardinian and Sicilian coasts. Among local populations, the so-called Villanovan culture group—mainly located on the Tyrrhenian side of central Italy and in the southern Po plain—stood out since the beginning for the extent of their geographical expansion across the peninsula and their leading position in the interaction with diverse groups. The community of Fermo (ninth–fifth century BCE), related to the Villanovan groups but located in the Picene area (Marche), is a model example of these population dynamics. This study integrates archaeological, osteological, carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) (n = 25 human) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotope data (n = 54 human, n = 11 baseline samples) to explore human mobility through Fermo funerary contexts. The combination of these different sources enabled us to confirm the presence of non-local individuals and gain insight into community connectivity dynamics in Early Iron Age Italian frontier sites. This research contributes to one of the leading historical questions of Italian development in the first millennium BCE.

Machine learning-based Sr isoscape of southern Sardinia: A tool for bio-geographic studies at the Phoenician-Punic site of Nora

“…Bone and tooth enamel samples were cleaned with MilliQ water and digested using concentrated suprapur HNO 3 . The bioavailable Sr fraction from soils was extracted using 0.25 M acetic acid [ 29 , 89 ]. Bulk rock samples were digested in closed-PTFE vessels on the hotplate (150°C), using a mixture of concentrated HNO 3 , HCl and HF, until total dissolution.…”

Multiproxy bioarchaeological data reveals interplay between growth, diet and population dynamics across the transition to farming in the central Mediterranean

“…The dietary patterns presented here are one aspect that would welcome further investigation, especially with respect to regional trends and clustering within our dataset (Figure S1 B). A lack of available bioarchaeological data for the period between 3500 and 2000 BP also unfortunately limited our ability to explore human adaptation against the backdrop of developing urbanism and state formation during such a dynamic period in later prehistory 12 , and is another potential area for future work. As our study has largely relied on data gathered from published sources, it is not always possible to establish the full contextual details for the individual data points we have collected, thus limiting the extent to which our databases can be cross-referenced.…”

Bioarchaeology aids the cultural understanding of six characters in search of their agency (Tarquinia, ninth–seventh century BC, central Italy)

“…As for inhumations, tooth enamel was sampled using established protocols 64 and described in further detail in the Supplementary Notes .…”

“…The assessment of the local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr baseline was based on a multifactorial approach 20 , 64 taking into account: (a) the geological and isotopic composition of the area around Tarquinia, (b) the assessment of the local baseline measuring diverse modern and archaeological samples from around the site, (c) the assessment of the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr range for the youngest individuals from the contemporary Iron Age necropolis of Tarquinia Villa Bruschi Falgari 65 , 66 , namely cremated young children (YC) and older children (OC) aging from 1 to 10 years of age. Petrous bone and tooth enamel in subadults form shortly before death, and, consequently, a limited possibility of residential mobility can be inferred 67 .…”

“…The method is described in further detail in the Supplementary Note. Baseline and tooth enamel samples were analysed at the Frankfurt Isotope and Element Research Center (FIERCE) 64 , 69 . Cremated tooth enamel and petrous bones from Tarquinia Villa Bruschi were analysed at Cardiff Earth Laboratory for Trace element and Isotope Chemistry (CELTIC).…”