Social stratigraphy in Late Iron Age Switzerland
Stable carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope analysis of human remains from Münsingen
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5386237 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Negahnaz Moghaddam (0000-0002-0615-0451, University of Bern), Felix Müller (0000-0003-4979-2419, Natural History Museum of Bern), A Hafner (0000-0003-2159-8569, University of Bern), Sandra Lösch (0000-0003-3442-9764, University of Bern) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 149-160 |
| Publication date | 2016-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1866-9557 • E-ISSN: 1866-9565 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12520-014-0221-4 |
| OpenAlex | W2042143549 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 23 |
| References cited | 75 |
The Iron Age cemetery of Münsingen in Switzerland with 220 abundantly equipped burials marked a milestone for Iron Age research. The horizontal spread throughout the time of its occupancy laid the foundation for the chronology system of the Late Iron Age. Today, skulls of 77 individuals and some postcranial bones are still preserved. The aim of the study was to obtain information about diet, mobility and social stratification of the individuals. Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur were analysed for 63 individuals. For all of them, C3 plants were found to be the staple food. There are significant differences between males and females in δ13C and δ15N values. This points to a gender restriction in the access to animal protein with males probably having more access to meat and dairy products. Differences in δ15N values were also observed for different age classes. δ34S values indicate a terrestrial-based diet with no significant intake of marine or freshwater fish. Seven adults with enriched δ34S values might have immigrated to Münsingen, four of which were found in the oldest part of the cemetery. Furthermore, possible changes of the vegetation are indicated by the more positive stable carbon ratios in the later phases. The results lead to the suggestion that especially males buried with weapons might have played a special role in the Iron Age society
Archaeology · Biology · Geography · Iron Age · Isotope analysis · Isotopes of nitrogen · Nitrogen · Stable isotope ratio · δ13C · δ15N · δ34S · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Chemistry · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Ecology
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| Unique citing works | 23 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,09 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2026 (12) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 23 |