Contribution to Longobard dietary studies: Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from Castel Trosino (6th-8th c. CE, Ascoli Piceno, central Italy)

Abstract

The arrival of the Longobards in Italy represents one of the most significant periods of the Early Middle Ages. Such arrival had social and political implications, particularly in relation to cultural admixture with local communities. One way to understand this is through the reconstruction of paleodiet via stable isotope analysis. So far, the subsistence strategy of this population in central Italy remains poorly explored. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses are presented here on a total of 19 human bone collagen samples from the cemetery of Castel Trosino. This isotopic investigation contributes to the dietary reconstruction of Early Medieval populations in Italy, providing a crucial isotopic dataset for an area still poorly explored.

Keywords

• Paleodiet
• Stable isotope
• Early medieval
• Food practices