Mapping the origins of Imperial Roman workers (1st-4th century CE) at Vagnari, Southern Italy, using 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and δ 18 O variability

• Published in: American journal of physical anthropology 2018-08, Vol.166 (4), p.837-850
• Main Authors: Emery, Matthew V, Stark, Robert J, Murchie, Tyler J, Elford, Spencer, Schwarcz, Henry P, Prowse, Tracy L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anthropology, Physical; Cemeteries - history; Female; History, Ancient; Humans; Italy; Male; Middle Aged; Oxygen Isotopes - analysis; Roman World - history; Soil - chemistry; Strontium Isotopes - analysis; Tooth - chemistry; Transients and Migrants - history; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0002-9483; 1096-8644
• DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23473

We obtained the oxygen and strontium isotope composition of teeth from Roman period (1st to 4th century CE) inhabitants buried in the Vagnari cemetery (Southern Italy), and present the first strontium isotope variation map of the Italian peninsula using previously published data sets and new strontium data. We test the hypothesis that the Vagnari population was predominantly composed of local individuals, instead of migrants originating from abroad. We analyzed the oxygen ( O/ O) and strontium ( Sr/ Sr) isotope composition of 43 teeth. We also report the Sr/ Sr composition of an additional 13 molars, Sr/ Sr values from fauna (n = 10), and soil (n = 5) samples local to the area around Vagnari. The Sr/ Sr variation map of Italy uses Sr/ Sr values obtained from previously published data sources from across Italy (n = 199). Converted tooth carbonate (δ O ) and Sr/ Sr data indicate that the majority of individuals buried at Vagnari were local to the region. ArcGIS bounded Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation of the pan-Italian Sr/ Sr data set approximates the expected Sr/ Sr range of Italy's geological substratum, producing the first strontium map of the Italian peninsula. Results suggest that only 7% of individuals buried at Vagnari were born elsewhere and migrated to Vagnari, while the remaining individuals were either local to Vagnari (58%), or from the southern Italian peninsula (34%). Our results are consistent with the suggestion that Roman Imperial lower-class populations in southern Italy sustained their numbers through local reproduction measures, and not through large-scale immigration from outside the Italian peninsula.