Isotope analyses to explore diet and mobility in a medieval Muslim population at Tauste (NE Spain)

Abstract

The Islamic necropolis discovered in Tauste (Zaragoza, Spain) is the only evidence that a large Muslim community lived in the area between the 8th and 10th centuries. A multi-isotope approach has been used to investigate the mobility and diet of this medieval Muslim population living in a shifting frontier region. Thirty-one individuals were analyzed to determine δ15N, δ13C, δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr composition. A combination of strontium and oxygen isotope analysis indicated that most individuals were of local origin although three females and two males were non-local. The non-local males would be from a warmer zone whereas two of the females would be from a more mountainous geographical region and the third from a geologically-different area. The extremely high δ15N baseline at Tauste was due to bedrock composition (gypsum and salt). High individual δ15N values were related to the manuring effect and consumption of fish. Adult males were the most privileged members of society in the medieval Muslim world and, as isotope data reflected, consumed more animal proteins than females and young males.

Diet and food strategies in a southern al-Andalusian urban environment during Caliphal period, Écija, Sevilla

“…Similar δ 13 C differences were observed by Alexander et al (2015) for later Islamic fauna in the central-east of Iberia, while the opposite was observed in a pre-Islamic Christian population from the North-West region (López-Costas and Müldner 2016). Furthermore, although our sample size is small, cattle have greater isotope value variation than caprine, again also observable in other studies (see Guede et al 2017;Alexander et al 2015). Transhumance has been important strategy in Iberia from the Roman period onwards (Glick 1995).…”

“…First, it is necessary to highlight two sites with outstanding results. As already mentioned, Early Islamic Tauste appears to be unique in its nitrogen values, a feature attributed to extreme salinity in the area (Guede et al 2017). Second, Lanzada, a pre-Islamic site in the north with very high carbon and nitrogen values, is argued to represent a mixed marine and milletbased diet.…”

“…Today, Écija is renowned for its high temperatures and salinity (Fernández et al 2002), as well as nearby BAltiplano de Écija^. However, with the exception of a few high cattle values, which may relate to husbandry practices, Écija's human δ 15 N values are moderate, if not low for the time period (see Table 6), as might be expected if environmental conditions and salinity were a (Guede et al 2017). Fernandez et al (2002) have argued that modern human activity has been a significant contributor to the high salinity in the town today, and it is interesting that our results support this situation.…”

The Islamic cemetery at 33 Bartomeu Vicent Ramon, Ibiza: investigating diet and mobility through light stable isotopes in bone collagen and tooth enamel

“…Even assuming that there is indeed a bone-enamel offset of + 2.3‰ as proposed by Warinner and Tuross (2009), the C 4 energy contribution would still be significant, although it would be reduced to O-depleted, raising the possibility of origins in the mountains of southeast (cf. Guede et al 2017: Fig. 8) or northern Spain (cf.…”

“…This is even clearer if sample BVR116 is omitted, with its anomalously low result of 9.8‰, compared to the mean of 12.3 ± 1.0‰ for the remaining four infants. There is no corresponding difference in δ Guede et al 2017), and both can be converted to the expected values for ingested water , although each conversion introduces additional uncertainty (Pollard et al 2011) (Table 3). The δ 13 C ap carbonate results average − 9.6 ± 1.6‰.…”