Stable Isotopes Unveil Dietary Trends in the Samnite and Peligni Communities of Opi Val Fondillo and Sulmona S. Lucia (V–VI Centuries BCE, Abruzzo, Central Italy)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to gain insights into the subsistence activities and nutrition of the Samnite and Peligni populations who lived in the Abruzzo region (Italy) during the Iron Age. The samples under investigation are from Opi Val Fondillo (AQ) and Sulmona S. Lucia (AQ), dating between the Vth and VIth centuries BCE. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes were utilized to characterize the diet of the inhabitants in this region. The study involved analyzing carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in 84 available samples and comparing them with isotopic values from animals found in the nearby sites of Loreto Aprutino, Gabii, and La Sassa’s Cave. The results of this study revealed statistically significant differences between sexes in δ15N values. Additionally, significant statistical variations were observed when comparing different populations.

Keywords

• Iron age
• pre-Roman period
• italic population
• bone collagen
• stable isotopes
• carbon