The medieval population of Leopoli-Cencelle (Viterbo, Latium): Dietary reconstruction through stable isotope analysis from bone proteins

Baldoni, Marica; Scorrano, Gabriele; Alexander, Michelle; Stasolla, Francesca Romana; Marsella, Luigi Tonino; Rickards, Olga; Martínez-Labarga, Cristina

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.12.013

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 53 publications

(50 reference statements)

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“…The obtained herbivore isotopic values (Bos taurus, Ovis aries, Ovis sp., and Capra hircus from San Pancrazio, Gabii San Primitivo, and Colosseo I; mean δ 13 C = −20.4 ± 0.8‰- The five Sus scrofa from San Pancrazio, Colosseo I, and Colosseo II have similar isotope values (mean δ 13 C = − 20.2 ± 0.5‰-1 s.d.-and mean δ 15 N = 5.1 ± 0.9‰-1 s.d.-) to the sheep and cattle, suggesting that they consumed an herbivorous diet rather than an omnivorous one. The literature data also show similar isotope values between the Sus domesticus and the herbivores (mean δ 13 C = − 21.1 ± 0.5‰-1 s.d.-and mean δ 15 N = 4.9 ± 1.3‰-1 s.d.-) (Baldoni et al 2016(Baldoni et al , 2018(Baldoni et al , 2019.…”

Section: Isotopic Data From Faunamentioning

confidence: 57%

“…Significant differences in δ 13 C values were found between Rome and almost all the other Italian sites (but Pava Pieve, Cencelle, and Allumiere; Ricci et al 2012;Baldoni et al 2018Baldoni et al , 2019. Conversely, differences in δ 15 N were only found between Rome and Castro dei Volsci, Pava Pieve, Montella, Mainizza, and Colonna (Salamon et al 2008;Ricci et al 2012;Torino et al 2015;Iacumin et al 2014;Baldoni et al 2016).…”

Section: Dietary Habits In Medieval Italymentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Unfortunately, only 13 animal bones are featured in this study. However, faunal remains from various species are available for Medieval Latium (Baldoni et al 2016(Baldoni et al , 2018(Baldoni et al , 2019; they were analyzed in conjunction with this study's values to aid in reconstructing a reliable animal baseline used for the dietary analysis of Rome's medieval population.…”

Section: Isotopic Data From Faunamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A sizeable consumption of marine fish was not widespread and probably restricted to wealthier members of society (Ervynck et al 2003;Prowse et al 2004Prowse et al , 2005. This picture of the dietary landscape of the Middle Ages in Italy (fifth-fifteenth centuries CE) is supported by molecular data from paleo diet research (Reitsema and Vercellotti 2012; Ricci et al 2012;Pescucci et al 2013;Iacumin et al 2014;Scorrano et al 2014;Ciaffi et al 2015;Torino et al 2015;Baldoni et al 2016Baldoni et al , 2018Baldoni et al , 2019, even though it is far from being fully characterized.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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The edge of the Empire: diet characterization of medieval Rome through stable isotope analysis

Varano

Angelis

Battistini

et al. 2020

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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This paper aims to define the dietary profile of the population of early medieval Rome (fifth-eleventh centuries CE) by carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. This period was characterized by deep changes in the city's economic, demographic, and social patterns, probably affecting its inhabitants' nutritional habits. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of bone collagen was used to detect the nutritional profile of 110 humans from six communities inhabiting the city center of Rome and one from the ancient city of Gabii. Thirteen faunal remains were also analyzed to define the ecological baseline of the medieval communities. The isotopic results are consistent with a diet mainly based on the exploitation of C 3 plant resources and terrestrial fauna, while the consumption of aquatic resources was detected only among the San Pancrazio population. Animal protein intake proved to be similar both among and within the communities, supporting a qualitatively homogenous dietary landscape in medieval Rome. The comparison with isotopic data from the Imperial Age allowed us to detect a diachronic nutritional transition in ancient Rome, in which the collapse of the Empire, and in particular the crisis of economic power and the trade system, represented a tipping point for its population's nutritional habits.

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Section: Isotopic Data From Faunamentioning

confidence: 57%

Section: Dietary Habits In Medieval Italymentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Isotopic Data From Faunamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The edge of the Empire: diet characterization of medieval Rome through stable isotope analysis

Varano

Angelis

Battistini

et al. 2020

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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“…Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the relationship between diet and survivorship in a Mediterranean ecological setting, focusing on the Roman Imperial and Medieval periods. To better understand the relationship between diet and life-span in the Roman Imperial and Medieval periods, we considered 616 individuals from 18 Roman and Medieval archeological sites from Latium ( Figure 1 ), which had previously been analyzed at the Centre of Molecular Anthropology for ancient DNA Studies at the Department of Biology of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. As explained in detail in the Materials and Methods’ section, however, our research followed a semiparametric statistical model which did not assume a specific shape for the mortality curves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Does Diet Influence Our Lives? Evaluating the Relationship between Isotopic Signatures and Mortality Patterns in Italian Roman Imperial and Medieval Periods

et al. 2021

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The present research investigates the relationship between dietary habits and mortality patterns in the Roman Imperial and Medieval periods. The reconstructions of population dynamics and subsistence strategies provide a fascinating source of information for understanding our history. This is particularly true given that the changes in social, economic, political, and religious aspects related to the transition from the Roman period to the Middle Ages have been widely discussed. We analyzed the isotopic and mortality patterns of 616 individuals from 18 archeological sites (the Medieval Latium sites of Colonna, Santa Severa, Allumiere, Cencelle, and 14 Medieval and Imperial funerary contexts from Rome) to compile a survivorship analysis. A semi-parametric approach was applied, suggesting variations in mortality patterns between sexes in the Roman period. Nitrogen isotopic signatures influenced mortality in both periods, showing a quadratic and a linear effect for Roman Imperial and Medieval populations, respectively. No influence of carbon isotopic signatures has been detected for Roman Imperial populations. Conversely, increased mortality risk for rising carbon isotopic values was observed in Medieval samples.

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Funerary reuse of a Roman amphitheatre: Palaeodietary and osteological study of Early Middle Ages burials (8th and 9th centuries AD) discovered in the Arena of Verona (Northeastern Italy)

Laffranchi

Mazzucchi

Thompson

et al. 2020

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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The economic and political disruption following the collapse of the Roman Empire is an important moment for the cultural and biological history of Western Europe. One of the trends associated this socioeconomic change is the reuse of Roman public monuments for different purposes including funerary ones. The cultural meaning of this practice, occasionally described throughout Europe, is however still unclear. Here, we present a study of a group of burials (N = 10) recently discovered in the Roman amphitheatre (Arena) of Verona (Northeastern Italy) and dating to Early Middle Ages (8th and 9th century AD). Specifically, we address the following research questions: (1) What depositional events are responsible for the observed stratigraphic sequence? 2) Which demographic composition and health condition characterize this sample? (3) What kind of diet characterized these individuals? In order to address these questions, we performed an osteological and isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) study of the skeletal evidence for the assessment of palaeopathological and dietary patterns and a histological analysis for the refinement of age at death and the calculation of the minimum number of individuals (MNI). A 14C study was also performed in order to better define the depositional sequence of these individuals. The results, besides being among the first palaeodietary data for Early Middle Ages in this region, highlight: (a) the funerary use of this location for at least one century; (b) an MNI of 10 individuals of both sexes and different age classes, featuring relatively high frequencies of unspecific stress markers (porotic hyperostosis and linear enamel hypoplasia) and trauma, and (c) a diet characterized by a consistent contribution of C4 plants and a good access to animal proteins. These results suggest a long‐spanning practice and the absence of any selectivity in the choice of these individuals. Finally, isotopic data align with previous studies on Bronze and Iron Age samples confirming a long tradition of alimentary exploitation of C4 plants in this area.

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The medieval population of Leopoli-Cencelle (Viterbo, Latium): Dietary reconstruction through stable isotope analysis from bone proteins

Cited by 7 publications

References 53 publications

The edge of the Empire: diet characterization of medieval Rome through stable isotope analysis

The edge of the Empire: diet characterization of medieval Rome through stable isotope analysis

How Does Diet Influence Our Lives? Evaluating the Relationship between Isotopic Signatures and Mortality Patterns in Italian Roman Imperial and Medieval Periods

Funerary reuse of a Roman amphitheatre: Palaeodietary and osteological study of Early Middle Ages burials (8th and 9th centuries AD) discovered in the Arena of Verona (Northeastern Italy)

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