Social stratigraphy in Late Iron Age Switzerland: stable carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope analysis of human remains from Münsingen

Abstract

The Iron Age cemetery of Münsingen in Switzerland with 220 abundantly equipped burials marked a milestone for Iron Age research. The horizontal spread throughout the time of its occupancy laid the foundation for the chronology system of the Late Iron Age. Today, skulls of 77 individuals and some postcranial bones are still preserved. The aim of the study was to obtain information about diet, mobility and social stratification of the individuals. Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur were analysed for 63 individuals. For all of them, C 3 plants were found to be the staple food. There are significant differences between males and females in δ

A bioarchaeological approach to the Iron Age in Switzerland: stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) of human remains

“…Manuring is known to have been practiced since prehistoric times (Bakels 1997;Nielsen and Kristiansen 2014). The populations in the southern Alpine areas compared to the Swiss Plateau probably had distinct patterns of crop The Münsingen population revealed sex-specific dietary differences with males having a diet higher in animal protein (Moghaddam et al 2016). None of the other sites revealed a similar result.…”

“…C values were more positive in the later compared to the earlier phases (Moghaddam et al 2016). Including Münsingen in the dataset, the highest mean (−18.6‰) was observed in individuals dating to LT C (Kruskal-Wallis p = 0.000***).…”

“…Bioarchaeological approaches to Late Iron Age human remains have become more and more important for anthropological and archaeological research (Knipper et al 2014;Koon and Nicholls 2016;Le Huray and Schutkowski 2005;Lightfoot et al 2015;Moghaddam et al 2016;Naumann et al 2014;Oelze et al 2012;Redfern et al 2010). Due to the poor preservation of many Iron Age skeletons and the lack of written sources from that time, stable isotope analyses provide important new insights into the Iron Age dietary and migration patterns (Le Huray et al 2006).…”

“…The analysis of δ 34 S has become important for stable isotope research for analyses of dietary habits and migration (Bollongino et al 2013;Craig et al 2006;Fornander et al 2008;Kinaston et al 2013;Moghaddam et al 2016;Nehlich et al 2011Nehlich et al , 2012Oelze et al 2012;Privat et al 2007;Richards et al 2001Richards et al , 2003Vika 2009). In bone collagen, the δ 34 S is passed along the food chain with just a small fractionation of approximately −1‰.…”

Survival after trepanation—Early cranial surgery from Late Iron Age Switzerland

“…By contrast, investigations of archaeological remains are a direct scientific source. Research on pathologies (Moghaddam et al, 2013;Ubelaker and Pap, 1998), pre-and perimortem trauma (Armit et al, 2013), as well as nutrition and migration (Le Huray and Schutkowski, 2005;Moghaddam et al, 2014;Oelze et al, 2012) has shed light on life, disease and society of these populations.…”