Isotopic evidence for human mobility in late antique Bulla Regia (Tunisia)

Combined use of 87Sr/86Sr and carbon isotopes with multielemental analysis for the geographical authentication of Tunisian and European olive oils

“…The samples were taken from soils developed on marllimestone and sandstone bedrocks of essentially Neogene age. The range of isotopic ratios of the Tunisian olive oils analyzed (0.70807-0.70884) is in agreement with the isotopic ratios of this age group (Prokoph et al,2008), as well as the Sr isotope ratios recently measured by (Nikita et al, 2023) in plants collected in the northwest of Tunisia (0.708225-0.709477); i.e., Mint (Mentha sp. ), Olive (olea europea), Tamarisk (Tamarix sp.…”

Shrouded in history: Unveiling the ways of life of an early Muslim population in Santarém, Portugal (8th– 10th century AD)

“…Some of the teeth (1/9) sampled from Group 2 and 5/14 from Group 1 reflect δ 18 O DW values that are more negative than -6‰, illustrated in Fig 11E and one female individual (HS 1442) had values as low as -8.4‰ in her M2 and -8.6‰ in her M3. These values indicate possible origins in a region with more humid conditions than Santarém at this time but could be consistent with precipitation δ 18 O values in the wetter mountainous regions of the Maghreb [ 53 , 54 , 69 , 70 ]. Origins in the Arabian Peninsula seem less likely, as it is very arid and less negative δ 18 O DW values may be expected.…”

“…It should be noted, however, that the consistency of human 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios with measured bioavailable ranges does not serve as absolute confirmation of a local origin, but only as evidence of provenance in a geologically similar region. In fact, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios measured in studies across the Maghreb have also yielded similar ranges, for example 0.710–0.712 in human tooth enamel from southwestern Libya [ 147 ], 0.708–0.710 in plant ash from northern Tunisia [ 70 ] 0.7078–0.7096 in waters from the Continental Intercalaire (CI) aquifer that flows from the Atlas Mountains in Algeria to the Tunisian Chotts [ 148 ] and 0.7093–0.7105 in groundwater from the Lakhssas Plateau in Morocco [ 149 ]. This means that Berber populations who migrated from the Maghreb and settled in Santarém would not necessarily have very distinct 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios from individuals who had spent their entire lives in the vicinity of Santarém.…”

“…[ 52 ], based on GNIP data recorded in the Iberian Peninsula from 2004–2006, also predicts an average range of ~-5‰ to -4‰ for Santarém. Precipitation δ 18 O values lower than ~-6‰ may occur in the winter in Santarém when rainfall is higher but not typically over long term averages, while the mean annual δ 18 O values can range from -4.2‰ to -11.1‰ over the Maghreb region of northern Africa with the most negative values being found over the Atlas Mountains [ 53 , 54 , 69 , 70 ]. It is important to consider that tooth enamel is formed over long time periods, so annual or long terms means are more comparable than seasonal data for bulk tooth samples [ 71 ].…”

Bulla Regia II: Excavations in the Christian cemetery

“…Multi-isotopic analysis has been conducted across the burial population of Bulla Regia to explore the dynamics of mobility and diet by sex, age, status and phase. Our recently published strontium ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) and oxygen (δ 18 O) isotope results from tooth enamel from 27 individuals have revealed that a high proportion of people buried at Bulla Regia did not spend their childhood there (Nikita et al 2023). Of the burials analysed, seven of 22 Late Antique individuals and one of five Roman individuals were potentially non-locals.…”