The biological life history of infants from archaeological contexts can provide a unique insight ... more The biological life history of infants from archaeological contexts can provide a unique insight into past human populations. Dental mineralized tissues contain a permanent record of their growth that can provide access to the prenatal and early infant life, and mortality, of human skeletons. This study focuses on the histomorphometric analysis of deciduous teeth from the ‘Archaic Necropolis’ of Motya (7th–6th century BCE, Sicily–Italy). The histomorphometric analysis is conducted on prenatal and postnatal enamel of eight anterior deciduous teeth from seven individuals from this Phoenician population to estimate their chronological age-at-death, health, and enamel growth parameters. Proteomic analysis has been used to determine the sex of the infants. The presence of the Neonatal Line in all specimens indicates that the seven individuals survived birth. The occurrence of at least one Accentuated Line in prenatal enamel in four out of seven individuals suggests the foetuses and/or their mothers experienced a stress-related event during pregnancy. As expected, there was limited variation in Daily Secretion Rates near the Enamel Dentine Junction. These rates increase toward the outer enamel surface and decrease toward the cervix. Our findings illustrate the importance of dental histology for reconstructing perinatal and early infancy mortality and morbidity patterns at Motya, which sheds light on the socio-cultural perception of new-borns and infants in an ancient Phoenician community.
Lo smalto dei denti che si forma durante la vita prenatale offre la possibilita di aprire una fin... more Lo smalto dei denti che si forma durante la vita prenatale offre la possibilita di aprire una finestra unica sugli stadi precoci dello sviluppo umano nelle serie scheletriche da contesti archeologici e paleoantropologici. Infatti, i tessuti mineralizzati del dente si accrescono in maniera appositiva secondo un ritmo circadiano e registrano i tassi di crescita individuali, che possono essere direttamente misurati (Hillson 2014). Le traiettorie di crescita dei denti rispecchiano, in una certa misura, quelle dello scheletro e le informazioni derivanti dalla loro analisi possono essere estese allo studio delle traiettorie di sviluppo, anche in una prospettiva evolutiva. Inoltre, la porzione prenatale dello smalto racchiude non solo informazioni sul feto, ma anche sulla dieta e sulla salute materna nel periodo della gravidanza. L'approccio convenzionale allo studio della microstruttura dello smalto dentale e quello dell'istologia classica, un'analisi per definizione distrutti...
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2021
Modern humans have a slow and extended period of childhood growth, but to what extent this ontoge... more Modern humans have a slow and extended period of childhood growth, but to what extent this ontogenetic pathway was present in Neanderthals is debated. Dental development, linked to the duration of somatic growth across modern primates, is the main source for information about growth and development in a variety of fossil primates, including humans. Studies of Neanderthal permanent teeth report a pace of development either similar to recent humans or relatively accelerated. Neanderthal milk teeth, which form and emerge before permanent teeth, provide an opportunity to determine which pattern was present at birth. Here we present a comparative study of the prenatal and early postnatal growth of five milk teeth from three Neanderthals (120 000–130 000 years ago) using virtual histology. Results reveal regions of their milk teeth formed quickly before birth and over a relatively short period of time after birth. Tooth emergence commenced towards the earliest end of the eruption schedule...
The evolution of modern human reproductive scheduling is an aspect of our life history that remai... more The evolution of modern human reproductive scheduling is an aspect of our life history that remains vastly uncomprehended. The present work aims to address this gap by validating a non-destructive cutting-edge methodology to infer adult life-history events on modern teeth with known life history and then applying it to fossil specimens. We use phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography to visualize the dental cementum of 21 specimens: nine contemporary humans; 10 Neanderthals from Krapina (Croatia, 130–120 kyr); one NeolithicHomo sapiensfrom Ajmana (Serbia); and one MesolithicH. sapiensfrom Vlasac (Serbia). We were able to correctly detect and time (root mean square error = 2.1 years;R2= 0.98) all reproductive (menarche, parturition, menopause) and other physiologically impactful events in the modern sample. Nonetheless, we could not distinguish between the causes of the events detected. For the fossil specimens, we estimated age at death and age at occurrence of biologically ...
We present the results of a multi-disciplinary investigation on a deciduous human tooth (Pradis 1... more We present the results of a multi-disciplinary investigation on a deciduous human tooth (Pradis 1), recently recovered from the Epigravettian layers of the Grotte di Pradis archaeological site (Northeastern Italian Prealps). Pradis 1 is an exfoliated deciduous molar (Rdm2), lost during life by an 11–12-year-old child. A direct radiocarbon date provided an age of 13,088–12,897 cal BP (95% probability, IntCal20). Amelogenin peptides extracted from tooth enamel and analysed through LC–MS/MS indicate that Pradis 1 likely belonged to a male. Time-resolved 87Sr/86Sr analyses by laser ablation mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICPMS), combined with dental histology, were able to resolve his movements during the first year of life (i.e. the enamel mineralization interval). Specifically, the Sr isotope ratio of the tooth enamel differs from the local baseline value, suggesting that the child likely spent his first year of life far from Grotte di Pradis. Sr isotopes are also suggestive of a cyclical/s...
The evolution and development of human mortuary behaviors is of enormous cultural significance. H... more The evolution and development of human mortuary behaviors is of enormous cultural significance. Here we report a richly-decorated young infant burial (AVH-1) from Arma Veirana (Liguria, northwestern Italy) that is directly dated to 10,211–9910 cal BP (95.4% probability), placing it within the early Holocene and therefore attributable to the early Mesolithic, a cultural period from which well-documented burials are exceedingly rare. Virtual dental histology, proteomics, and aDNA indicate that the infant was a 40–50 days old female. Associated artifacts indicate significant material and emotional investment in the child’s interment. The detailed biological profile of AVH-1 establishes the child as the earliest European near-neonate documented to be female. The Arma Veirana burial thus provides insight into sex/gender-based social status, funerary treatment, and the attribution of personhood to the youngest individuals among prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups and adds substantially to ...
The historical and archaeological record identifies Pithekoussai (island of Ischia, Italy, VIII c... more The historical and archaeological record identifies Pithekoussai (island of Ischia, Italy, VIII cent. BCE-III cent. CE) as the first Greek settlement in Italy (Strabo Geographia V-4-9), afterwards followed by more extensive Greek migrations characterizing the rise of Magna Grecia. The most striking evidence is the so-called Coppa di Nestore, which exhibits the most ancient Greek Euboean inscription so far known. The Pithekoussai's graveyard yielded more than 900 graves, both inhumations and cremations. The funerary record suggests a complex settlement history where Greek and Phoenician immigrants interacted with the local population. The peculiarity of the grave goods and the diverse treatment of the bodies are possibly referable to the origin and/or the social status of the deceased. The aim of this study is to test the multi-ethnicity of Pithekoussai's community through the anthropological and isotopic analysis, mainly by the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio analysis performed on dental enamel (inhumated individuals) and the pars petrosa of the temporal bone (cremated and inhumated individuals). Fifty individuals, from the so-called Pithekoussai II series, have been analysed so far. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio isotopic signal in the human mineralized tissues was compared to the local isotopic ratios derived from the analysis a. of the enamel of small modern mammals; b. of modern grass samples; and from the local volcanic bedrock signal known in literature (D'Antonio et al., 2012). Results confirm the presence of individuals born elsewhere (~ 22%), all adults, reinforcing the idea that Pithekoussai was a multi-ethnic community.
Poster presentado en: 100+25 years of Homo erectus: Dmanisi and beyond. International Senckenberg... more Poster presentado en: 100+25 years of Homo erectus: Dmanisi and beyond. International Senckenberg Conference: Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, 20-24 september, 2016
Dental enamel, as individual biological archives of first infancy’s developmental history, record... more Dental enamel, as individual biological archives of first infancy’s developmental history, records at microscopic level physiological and rhythmical growth markers as well as pathological stresses that are capable to disrupt the formation of the mineralized tissues. Nonetheless, most of the studies have focused on the most readable postnatal portion of the enamel even though the analysis of the prenatal one is pivotal in understanding fetal growth, and allows retrieving information on the mother’s health status during pregnancy. This contribution reports new data describing the prenatal enamel of central deciduous incisors from the Imperial Roman necropolis of Velia (III century AC, Salerno, Italy) and from 4 modern exfoliated deciduous teeth. The archaeological sample consists of 18 teeth (12 upper and 6 lower incisors) free from incisal wear and showing exceptional visibility of the cross striations in the prenatal enamel . Histological sections were analyzed in order to collect data on prenatal crown formation times, daily secretion rates (DSR) and enamel extension rates (EER). Results for the Velia's sample allowed to derive a new regression formula, through a robust regression approach, that describes the average rates of deciduous enamel formation and to be used as a reference for preindustrial populations. Finally, for a selected subset of Velia’s central incisors, we estimated the topographical distribution of the DSR, collecting random measurements (N>100) across the entire crown profile. The spatial distribution of the DSR was calculated from raw data using a surface fit obtained by thin plate regression splines.
Il presente contributo mira a delineare le principali caratteristiche biologiche del campione odo... more Il presente contributo mira a delineare le principali caratteristiche biologiche del campione odontoscheletrico umano proveniente dagli scavi Buchner 1965-7 della necropoli di Pithekoussai, oggetto di uno studio antropologico in fieri che pone come principale obiettivo una pi\uf9 efficace e completa ricostruzione dell'antica comunit\ue0 pithekoussana, e di cui, si illustrano in questo contributo le procedure analitiche e i risultati preliminari
Mobility of people and goods during the Upper Paleolithic has proven difficult to reconstruct giv... more Mobility of people and goods during the Upper Paleolithic has proven difficult to reconstruct given the relative rareness of remains. Nevertheless, archaeological contexts like the Late Pleistocene horizon of Borsuka Cave (Southern Poland) represent a unique opportunity to explore patterns of objects’ transportation across Central Europe. We investigated the origin of four ornaments made of European elk (Alces alces L.) incisors recovered at Borsuka Cave – the oldest known burial site in Poland, possibly a child grave. Laser-ablation plasma source mass spectrometric analyses of trace elements and Sr isotopic compositions revealed that one elk was roaming within a geologically uniform area while the others changed their pastures during their lifetimes. The non-local origin of the elk teeth is inferred from their exotic Sr isotopic compositions and the lack of evidence for the presence of elk in this territory during the Pleistocene. Instead, the elks’ Sr isotopic composition show goo...
ABSTRACT Pontecagnano is one of the largest pre-Roman sites in southern Italy, best known for its... more ABSTRACT Pontecagnano is one of the largest pre-Roman sites in southern Italy, best known for its necropolises, located around the inhabited area. Archaeological excavations of the burial areas have uncovered more than ten thousand burials. Several studies have highlighted different phases of the settlement’s development from the 9th to the 3rd century BCE, which are marked by major societal and cultural shifts. In turn, these periods are reflected by changes in funerary customs. The present study aims to provide further evidence of these social transitions through an interdisciplinary analysis focused on the non-adult population. The analysis integrates archaeological, anthropological, and archeozoological data relating to 152 burials from three chronologically and spatially distinct funerary sectors: Colucci (early Iron Age, 9th century – 8th century BCE); De Chiara (Orientalizing period, 7th century – 6th century BCE); and Baldi (Archaic period, 6th century – first half of the 5th century BCE).
The biological life history of infants from archaeological contexts can provide a unique insight ... more The biological life history of infants from archaeological contexts can provide a unique insight into past human populations. Dental mineralized tissues contain a permanent record of their growth that can provide access to the prenatal and early infant life, and mortality, of human skeletons. This study focuses on the histomorphometric analysis of deciduous teeth from the ‘Archaic Necropolis’ of Motya (7th–6th century BCE, Sicily–Italy). The histomorphometric analysis is conducted on prenatal and postnatal enamel of eight anterior deciduous teeth from seven individuals from this Phoenician population to estimate their chronological age-at-death, health, and enamel growth parameters. Proteomic analysis has been used to determine the sex of the infants. The presence of the Neonatal Line in all specimens indicates that the seven individuals survived birth. The occurrence of at least one Accentuated Line in prenatal enamel in four out of seven individuals suggests the foetuses and/or their mothers experienced a stress-related event during pregnancy. As expected, there was limited variation in Daily Secretion Rates near the Enamel Dentine Junction. These rates increase toward the outer enamel surface and decrease toward the cervix. Our findings illustrate the importance of dental histology for reconstructing perinatal and early infancy mortality and morbidity patterns at Motya, which sheds light on the socio-cultural perception of new-borns and infants in an ancient Phoenician community.
Lo smalto dei denti che si forma durante la vita prenatale offre la possibilita di aprire una fin... more Lo smalto dei denti che si forma durante la vita prenatale offre la possibilita di aprire una finestra unica sugli stadi precoci dello sviluppo umano nelle serie scheletriche da contesti archeologici e paleoantropologici. Infatti, i tessuti mineralizzati del dente si accrescono in maniera appositiva secondo un ritmo circadiano e registrano i tassi di crescita individuali, che possono essere direttamente misurati (Hillson 2014). Le traiettorie di crescita dei denti rispecchiano, in una certa misura, quelle dello scheletro e le informazioni derivanti dalla loro analisi possono essere estese allo studio delle traiettorie di sviluppo, anche in una prospettiva evolutiva. Inoltre, la porzione prenatale dello smalto racchiude non solo informazioni sul feto, ma anche sulla dieta e sulla salute materna nel periodo della gravidanza. L'approccio convenzionale allo studio della microstruttura dello smalto dentale e quello dell'istologia classica, un'analisi per definizione distrutti...
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2021
Modern humans have a slow and extended period of childhood growth, but to what extent this ontoge... more Modern humans have a slow and extended period of childhood growth, but to what extent this ontogenetic pathway was present in Neanderthals is debated. Dental development, linked to the duration of somatic growth across modern primates, is the main source for information about growth and development in a variety of fossil primates, including humans. Studies of Neanderthal permanent teeth report a pace of development either similar to recent humans or relatively accelerated. Neanderthal milk teeth, which form and emerge before permanent teeth, provide an opportunity to determine which pattern was present at birth. Here we present a comparative study of the prenatal and early postnatal growth of five milk teeth from three Neanderthals (120 000–130 000 years ago) using virtual histology. Results reveal regions of their milk teeth formed quickly before birth and over a relatively short period of time after birth. Tooth emergence commenced towards the earliest end of the eruption schedule...
The evolution of modern human reproductive scheduling is an aspect of our life history that remai... more The evolution of modern human reproductive scheduling is an aspect of our life history that remains vastly uncomprehended. The present work aims to address this gap by validating a non-destructive cutting-edge methodology to infer adult life-history events on modern teeth with known life history and then applying it to fossil specimens. We use phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography to visualize the dental cementum of 21 specimens: nine contemporary humans; 10 Neanderthals from Krapina (Croatia, 130–120 kyr); one NeolithicHomo sapiensfrom Ajmana (Serbia); and one MesolithicH. sapiensfrom Vlasac (Serbia). We were able to correctly detect and time (root mean square error = 2.1 years;R2= 0.98) all reproductive (menarche, parturition, menopause) and other physiologically impactful events in the modern sample. Nonetheless, we could not distinguish between the causes of the events detected. For the fossil specimens, we estimated age at death and age at occurrence of biologically ...
We present the results of a multi-disciplinary investigation on a deciduous human tooth (Pradis 1... more We present the results of a multi-disciplinary investigation on a deciduous human tooth (Pradis 1), recently recovered from the Epigravettian layers of the Grotte di Pradis archaeological site (Northeastern Italian Prealps). Pradis 1 is an exfoliated deciduous molar (Rdm2), lost during life by an 11–12-year-old child. A direct radiocarbon date provided an age of 13,088–12,897 cal BP (95% probability, IntCal20). Amelogenin peptides extracted from tooth enamel and analysed through LC–MS/MS indicate that Pradis 1 likely belonged to a male. Time-resolved 87Sr/86Sr analyses by laser ablation mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICPMS), combined with dental histology, were able to resolve his movements during the first year of life (i.e. the enamel mineralization interval). Specifically, the Sr isotope ratio of the tooth enamel differs from the local baseline value, suggesting that the child likely spent his first year of life far from Grotte di Pradis. Sr isotopes are also suggestive of a cyclical/s...
The evolution and development of human mortuary behaviors is of enormous cultural significance. H... more The evolution and development of human mortuary behaviors is of enormous cultural significance. Here we report a richly-decorated young infant burial (AVH-1) from Arma Veirana (Liguria, northwestern Italy) that is directly dated to 10,211–9910 cal BP (95.4% probability), placing it within the early Holocene and therefore attributable to the early Mesolithic, a cultural period from which well-documented burials are exceedingly rare. Virtual dental histology, proteomics, and aDNA indicate that the infant was a 40–50 days old female. Associated artifacts indicate significant material and emotional investment in the child’s interment. The detailed biological profile of AVH-1 establishes the child as the earliest European near-neonate documented to be female. The Arma Veirana burial thus provides insight into sex/gender-based social status, funerary treatment, and the attribution of personhood to the youngest individuals among prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups and adds substantially to ...
The historical and archaeological record identifies Pithekoussai (island of Ischia, Italy, VIII c... more The historical and archaeological record identifies Pithekoussai (island of Ischia, Italy, VIII cent. BCE-III cent. CE) as the first Greek settlement in Italy (Strabo Geographia V-4-9), afterwards followed by more extensive Greek migrations characterizing the rise of Magna Grecia. The most striking evidence is the so-called Coppa di Nestore, which exhibits the most ancient Greek Euboean inscription so far known. The Pithekoussai's graveyard yielded more than 900 graves, both inhumations and cremations. The funerary record suggests a complex settlement history where Greek and Phoenician immigrants interacted with the local population. The peculiarity of the grave goods and the diverse treatment of the bodies are possibly referable to the origin and/or the social status of the deceased. The aim of this study is to test the multi-ethnicity of Pithekoussai's community through the anthropological and isotopic analysis, mainly by the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio analysis performed on dental enamel (inhumated individuals) and the pars petrosa of the temporal bone (cremated and inhumated individuals). Fifty individuals, from the so-called Pithekoussai II series, have been analysed so far. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio isotopic signal in the human mineralized tissues was compared to the local isotopic ratios derived from the analysis a. of the enamel of small modern mammals; b. of modern grass samples; and from the local volcanic bedrock signal known in literature (D'Antonio et al., 2012). Results confirm the presence of individuals born elsewhere (~ 22%), all adults, reinforcing the idea that Pithekoussai was a multi-ethnic community.
Poster presentado en: 100+25 years of Homo erectus: Dmanisi and beyond. International Senckenberg... more Poster presentado en: 100+25 years of Homo erectus: Dmanisi and beyond. International Senckenberg Conference: Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, 20-24 september, 2016
Dental enamel, as individual biological archives of first infancy’s developmental history, record... more Dental enamel, as individual biological archives of first infancy’s developmental history, records at microscopic level physiological and rhythmical growth markers as well as pathological stresses that are capable to disrupt the formation of the mineralized tissues. Nonetheless, most of the studies have focused on the most readable postnatal portion of the enamel even though the analysis of the prenatal one is pivotal in understanding fetal growth, and allows retrieving information on the mother’s health status during pregnancy. This contribution reports new data describing the prenatal enamel of central deciduous incisors from the Imperial Roman necropolis of Velia (III century AC, Salerno, Italy) and from 4 modern exfoliated deciduous teeth. The archaeological sample consists of 18 teeth (12 upper and 6 lower incisors) free from incisal wear and showing exceptional visibility of the cross striations in the prenatal enamel . Histological sections were analyzed in order to collect data on prenatal crown formation times, daily secretion rates (DSR) and enamel extension rates (EER). Results for the Velia's sample allowed to derive a new regression formula, through a robust regression approach, that describes the average rates of deciduous enamel formation and to be used as a reference for preindustrial populations. Finally, for a selected subset of Velia’s central incisors, we estimated the topographical distribution of the DSR, collecting random measurements (N>100) across the entire crown profile. The spatial distribution of the DSR was calculated from raw data using a surface fit obtained by thin plate regression splines.
Il presente contributo mira a delineare le principali caratteristiche biologiche del campione odo... more Il presente contributo mira a delineare le principali caratteristiche biologiche del campione odontoscheletrico umano proveniente dagli scavi Buchner 1965-7 della necropoli di Pithekoussai, oggetto di uno studio antropologico in fieri che pone come principale obiettivo una pi\uf9 efficace e completa ricostruzione dell'antica comunit\ue0 pithekoussana, e di cui, si illustrano in questo contributo le procedure analitiche e i risultati preliminari
Mobility of people and goods during the Upper Paleolithic has proven difficult to reconstruct giv... more Mobility of people and goods during the Upper Paleolithic has proven difficult to reconstruct given the relative rareness of remains. Nevertheless, archaeological contexts like the Late Pleistocene horizon of Borsuka Cave (Southern Poland) represent a unique opportunity to explore patterns of objects’ transportation across Central Europe. We investigated the origin of four ornaments made of European elk (Alces alces L.) incisors recovered at Borsuka Cave – the oldest known burial site in Poland, possibly a child grave. Laser-ablation plasma source mass spectrometric analyses of trace elements and Sr isotopic compositions revealed that one elk was roaming within a geologically uniform area while the others changed their pastures during their lifetimes. The non-local origin of the elk teeth is inferred from their exotic Sr isotopic compositions and the lack of evidence for the presence of elk in this territory during the Pleistocene. Instead, the elks’ Sr isotopic composition show goo...
ABSTRACT Pontecagnano is one of the largest pre-Roman sites in southern Italy, best known for its... more ABSTRACT Pontecagnano is one of the largest pre-Roman sites in southern Italy, best known for its necropolises, located around the inhabited area. Archaeological excavations of the burial areas have uncovered more than ten thousand burials. Several studies have highlighted different phases of the settlement’s development from the 9th to the 3rd century BCE, which are marked by major societal and cultural shifts. In turn, these periods are reflected by changes in funerary customs. The present study aims to provide further evidence of these social transitions through an interdisciplinary analysis focused on the non-adult population. The analysis integrates archaeological, anthropological, and archeozoological data relating to 152 burials from three chronologically and spatially distinct funerary sectors: Colucci (early Iron Age, 9th century – 8th century BCE); De Chiara (Orientalizing period, 7th century – 6th century BCE); and Baldi (Archaic period, 6th century – first half of the 5th century BCE).
Paleodemographic studies aim at modelling past populations structure, size and biological dynamic... more Paleodemographic studies aim at modelling past populations structure, size and biological dynamics from ancient cemeteries. As fully recognized and debated, this discipline faces several practical and theoretical issues; one of the most challenging aspects is the invisibility, the paucity or - more rarely - the hypervisibility of infants and children in the burial grounds. In fact, these frequent deviations from the expected mortality pattern for ancient pre-antibiotic populations strongly undermines the credibility of our paleodemographic estimates. Nevertheless, if addressed within a highly integrated approach of analysis, these evidences have the potential to disclose specific events and/or funerary practices, as possible reflection of social age definition and children personhood in ancient communities. Some relevant examples from Italy will be presented: the issue of children representation among the terramare bronze age necropolises; the changing patterns of infants funerary rituals in Pontecagnano and Pithecusa (Iron age necropoleis, Campania); the comparison among Roman Imperial Age necropolises (Latium and Campania); the late antiquity anomalous burials of perinates in Peltuinum (Abruzzi); the presence of children in the late antiquity Santa Mustiola catacomb (Tuscany). These contexts are currently under study by an interdisciplinary approach combining historical and archaeological evidences with data on children mortality and morbidity.
A sample of human deciduous teeth from the Roman Imperial necropolis of Velia (I-II cent. CE) was... more A sample of human deciduous teeth from the Roman Imperial necropolis of Velia (I-II cent. CE) was measured by high-resolution, phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography at the SYRMEP beamline of the Elettra laboratory. Results show the suitability and potential of the setup available at SYRMEP in paleo-ontogenetic studies on tooth enamel, through visualization of the growth markers in the mineralized tissue.
This study highlights the merit of combining macro- and microscopic analysis in a systematic surv... more This study highlights the merit of combining macro- and microscopic analysis in a systematic survey of non-occlusal tooth wear.
https://www.eshe.eu/static/eshe/files/PESHE/PESHE1.pdf
International Meeting of the European Soci... more https://www.eshe.eu/static/eshe/files/PESHE/PESHE1.pdf International Meeting of the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution. Bordeaux, September, 2012, p. 58.
Intense community dynamics in the pre-Roman frontier site of Fermo (ninth–fifth century BCE, Marche, central Italy) inferred from isotopic data , 2023
The Early Iron Age in Italy (end of the tenth to the eighth century BCE) was characterized by pro... more The Early Iron Age in Italy (end of the tenth to the eighth century BCE) was characterized by profound changes which influenced the subsequent political and cultural scenario in the peninsula. At the end of this period people from the eastern Mediterranean (e.g. Phoenicians and Greek people) settled along the Italian, Sardinian and Sicilian coasts. Among local populations, the so-called Villanovan culture group—mainly located on the Tyrrhenian side of central Italy and in the southern Po plain—stood out since the beginning for the extent of their geographical expansion across the peninsula and their leading position in the interaction with diverse groups. The community of Fermo (ninth–fifth century BCE), related to the Villanovan groups but located in the Picene area (Marche), is a model example of these population dynamics. This study integrates archaeological, osteological, carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) (n = 25 human) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotope data (n = 54 human, n = 11 baseline samples) to explore human mobility through Fermo funerary contexts. The combination of these different sources enabled us to confirm the presence of non-local individuals and gain insight into community connectivity dynamics in Early Iron Age Italian frontier sites. This research contributes to one of the leading historical questions of Italian development in the first millennium BCE.
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Papers by Luca Bondioli
In fact, these frequent deviations from the expected mortality pattern for ancient pre-antibiotic populations strongly undermines the credibility of our paleodemographic estimates. Nevertheless, if addressed within a highly integrated approach of analysis, these evidences have the potential to disclose specific events and/or funerary practices, as possible reflection of social age definition and children personhood in ancient communities.
Some relevant examples from Italy will be presented: the issue of children representation among the terramare bronze age necropolises; the changing patterns of infants funerary rituals in Pontecagnano and Pithecusa (Iron age necropoleis, Campania); the comparison among Roman Imperial Age necropolises (Latium and Campania); the late antiquity anomalous burials of perinates in Peltuinum (Abruzzi); the presence of children in the late antiquity Santa Mustiola catacomb (Tuscany). These contexts are currently under study by an interdisciplinary approach combining historical and archaeological evidences with data on children mortality and morbidity.
International Meeting of the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution. Bordeaux, September, 2012, p. 58.