Youth Mobility, Migration, and Health Before and After the Black Death

Abstract

Migration is driven by the young but despite this, few isotope studies focus on adolescent migrants or the intricatenature of their movement. Using a multi-analytical approach, the authors explore this mobility and the impact of urban living on the diet and health of adolescents from the pre-and post-Black Death periods of Northern England. Isotope analysis (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium) and lead concentrations were measured in 63 adolescents (10–25 years) from three sites in medieval York and from the nearby small town of Barton-upon-Humber. York was an important center in medieval England, acting as a magnet for adolescents seeking a new life and independence; Barton was seen as less attractive and harder to reach. In the pre-Black Death sample, 33% of adolescents (n=8/24; including five males and two females) were identified as possible migrants by their oxygen and strontium values. Following the Black Death only 5% (n=2/39) of adolescents, both from Barton, appeared to be migrants from elsewhere in Britain, indicating the pattern changed from individuals traveling long distances to more local, isotopically “invisible” movement. The non-locals appear to have been well integrated, sharing the same diet as the locals, but there was some evidence for different burial practices. Working in medieval York posed significant health risks for all of the young inhabitants, with lead concentrations at pathological levels, and possibly linked to anemia and vitamin D deficiency. This research highlights the importance of combining historical, archaeological, paleopathological, and chemical data to understand complex life histories of adolescents in the past.
 La migración es impulsada por los jóvenes. No obstante, pocos estudios de isótopos se centran en los adolescentes migrantes o en la naturaleza de sus movimientos. Utilizando un enfoque multi-analítico, las autoras exploran esta movilidad y el impacto de la vida urbana en la dieta y la salud de los adolescentes de los períodos anterior y posterior a la peste negra en el norte de Inglaterra. El análisis de isótopos (carbono, nitrógeno, oxígeno, y estroncio) y las concentraciones de plomo se midieron en 63 adolescentes (10–25 años) de tres sitios en la York medieval, y de la pequeña ciudad cercana de Barton-upon-Humber. York era un centro importante en la Inglaterra medieval, actuando como un imán para los adolescentes que buscaban una nueva vida e independencia. Barton era visto como menos atractivo y más difícil de alcanzar. En la muestra previa a la peste negra, el 33% de los adolescentes (n=8/24) fueron identificados como posibles migrantes por sus valores de oxígeno y estroncio (cinco masculinos y dos femeninos). Después de la peste negra, solo el 5% (n = 2/39) de los adolescentes, ambos de Barton, parecían ser migrantes de otras partes de Gran Bretaña, lo que indica que el patrón cambió de individuos que viajaban largas distancias a un movimiento isotópicamente “invisible” más local. Los no locales parecen haber estado bien integrados, compartiendo la misma dieta con la población local, pero hubo evidencia de diferentes prácticas de entierro. Trabajar en York medieval planteaba riesgos significativos para la salud de todos los habitantes jóvenes, con concentraciones patológicas de plomo posiblemente relacionadas con anemia y deficiencia de vitamina D. Esta investigación destaca la importancia de combinar datos históricos, arqueológicos, paleopatológicos, y químicos para comprender las complejas historias de vida de los adolescentes en el pasado.

Genetic history of Cambridgeshire before and after the Black Death

“…The lack of evidence for long-distance migration is in agreement with earlier mtDNA evidence in medieval British and Danish cohorts ( 41 ) but in contrast to genome-wide evidence of increased long-distance migration from medieval Trondheim ( 15 ). A recent isotope study also found that fewer adolescents moved into York from long distance following the Black Death, possibly because of the economic decline of York and the enforcement of labor laws ( 42 ). These results suggest that the pandemic had a variable impact on human mobility in European cities depending on their regional, socioeconomic, and political context and circumstances.…”