Stable isotope and multi-analytical investigation of Monte da Cegonha: A Late Antiquity population in southern Portugal

Abstract

This study presents for the first time the diet of a Late Antiquity population in southern Portugal (Civitas of Pax Julia), from the Roman villa of Monte da Cegonha (predominantly 7th century CE). Stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 18 O, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) of human and faunal bone collagen and apatite was conducted in order to understand the influence of Roman subsistence strategies on the way of life of rural inhabitants of the area of Pax Julia and to explore their diet (types of ingested plants, amount of animal resources, terrestrial versus marine resources). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses were used to determine the degree of bone diagenesis and assess the reliability of the bone stable isotopic composition for palaeodietary reconstruction. Anthropological analysis revealed a cariogenic diet, rich in starchy food and carbohydrates, in at least in two individuals based on the frequency of dental caries. Collagen and apatite carbon isotopic analysis suggested that C 3 plants were the basis of the population's diet, complemented with some terrestrial meat and its byproducts as reflected by the observed bone collagen nitrogen isotopic composition. Moreover, whilst the fairly low apatite-collagen spacing recorded in some skeletons (at around 4‰) may have been due to freshwater organisms intake, the relatively low nitrogen values observed indicate that this consumption did not occur very often, unless in the form of fresh fish of low trophic level or fish sauces. There were no significant differences in isotopic values depending on gender or burial type. Strontium and oxygen isotopic composition of bone apatite revealed a sedentary community, with the exception of a male individual who probably did not spend his childhood in Monte da Cegonha.

High status diet and health in Medieval Lisbon: a combined isotopic and osteological analysis of the Islamic population from São Jorge Castle, Portugal

“…Although the difference between female and male δ 15 N values is not significant, males have higher δ 15 N mean (12.8‰ ± 1.3) than females (11.3‰ ± 1.7). While the Spanish royal members, both females and males, showed higher δ 15 N values compared to contemporaneous populations; in (Saragoça et al 2016), Tauste, Spain (Guede et al 2017a, b), Can Fonoll, Ibiza, Spain (Pickard et al 2017), El Raval, Spain (Salazar-García et al 2014, Grenoble, France (Herrscher 2003), Wharram Percy, UK (Richards et al 2002), York, UK (Burt 2013), and Raunds, UK (Haydock et al 2013) Lisbon, this status-related difference can be seen in males only, similarly to what was found at Whithorn Cathedral Piory (Müldner et al 2009), Fishergate, York (Müldner and Richards 2007) and Brittany (Colleter et al 2017).…”

“…Research has been undertaken on individuals from Valencia and Aragon (Alexander et al 2015;Guede et al 2015;Salazar-García et al 2014, 2016, a small assemblage from Granada (Jiménez-Brobeil et al 2016) and the Balearic Islands of Mallorca (Cau Ontiveros et al 2016;Garcia et al 2004), Ibiza and Formentera (Fuller et al 2010;Nehlich et al 2012;Pickard et al 2017). Regarding Portuguese material, a recent article explored the diet of a group of Late Antique Christian individuals from Monte da Cegonha (Saragoça et al 2016). However, to date no research has been published on Portuguese Islamic material.…”

Diet and mobility during the Christian conquest of Iberia: The multi-isotopic investigation of a 12th–13th century military order in Évora, Portugal

“…For this reason, along with varying atmospheric influences, the geological radiogenic strontium values of the regional bedrock is not sufficient for predicting the range of strontium isotope values of organisms living within that region (Makarewicz and Sealy, 2015). To date, no such studies have been conducted for determining the bioavailable strontium isotope values in the vicinity of Évora, but it is hoped that the results obtained through this study will add to the growing corpus of data for Portugal (Waterman et al, 2014;Saragoça et al, 2016;Žalaitė et al, 2018).…”

Beyond faith: Biomolecular evidence for changing urban economies in multi‐faith medieval Portugal

“…In Lisbon and Silves, faunal remains are from contemporaneous pits excavated within domestic quarters, while no faunal remains were available in Beja and values of already published animal remains of late Roman chronology were used (Saragoça et al, 2016).…”