Alessandra Varalli | Université d'Aix-Marseille / CNRS (original) (raw)
Talks by Alessandra Varalli
We report the discovery and analysis of new Mesolithic human remains-dated to ca. 10,200-9000 cal... more We report the discovery and analysis of new Mesolithic human remains-dated to ca. 10,200-9000 cal. BP-from Arma di Nasino in Liguria, northwestern Italy, an area rich in Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic attestations, but for which little information on Early Holocene occupation was available. The multiproxy isotopic profile of the two individuals reveals that-despite the proximity of the site to the Mediterranean seashore and the use of shellfish as decorative elements in burials-the ecology of these foragers was based on the exploitation of high-altitude resources, presumably in the nearby western Alps. This constitutes the first direct evidence in northwestern Italy of a significant ecological shift towards higher altitudes following deglaciation, especially when compared to isotopic data of the Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from the nearby site of Arene Candide Cave, who exploited terrestrial resources nearer to the coast and at lower altitudes. While the biochemistry of Nasino's skeletal assemblage revealed new details on Early Holocene lifeways in the area, the osteobiography of one individual offers glimpses into the life experience of a specific female forager, depicting a scenario of early skeletal trauma, developmental disturbances, long-term impairments, and resilience amongst the last European hunter-gatherers. Between the beginning of the Holocene (11,700 cal. BP 1) and the diffusion of the Neolithic in Europe, Mesolithic foragers adapted to the rapidly warming climate by modifying the subsistence patterns that had characterized the preceding Upper Paleolithic, or by adopting new ones altogether 2,3. As the land was freed from ice by the warming climate, new high-altitude hunting grounds began to be exploited in mountainous areas such as the Alps, while in coastal areas of the Atlantic façade and in the southern Baltic region, the exploitation of coastal resources-primarily shellfish-became important 3. However, our knowledge about the paleoecology of Early Mesolithic foragers (ca. 1100-8500 cal. BP) is often limited and biased by the facts that most sites are surface artifact scatters 2 , and that most of the coastal sites occupied in the earlier phases are now under water 3,4. In this context, human remains and burials can provide rare glimpses of direct information on several aspects of human biocultural adaptations that most sites cannot, such as diet 5,6 , mobility and activity patterns 7-9 , and social complexity 3,10 .
Varalli A, Moggi Cecchi J, Goude G.
Varalli A., Moggi Cecchi J., Goude G.
"The Bronze Age is a crucial period of change, when “non-organized” human groups give way to more... more "The Bronze Age is a crucial period of change, when “non-organized” human groups give way to more structured and hierarchical communities, trade activities leads to new social relationships and agriculture and livestock farming become the key changes of new life habits. This progress is sustained by the introduction of new crops and improvements in the food production capacity. The variability of dietary patterns is one of the resultants of these modifications. Our paper presents dietary trends in Italy during Bronze Age (2300-1120 BC) evaluated through multi-element stable isotope analyses (C, N, S), measured on bone collagen. We present original data from 4 sites in 3 Italian regions (n=169), compared with previous results from 3 sites in central Italy (n=43). The results highlight different food choices due to the local environment, social complexity and probably different purposes of the area chosen for the necropolis. Presence of non-local individuals and first introduction of millet during Middle Bronze Age are discussed. At one site, the high level protein diet hints at marine food consumption for a few individuals. The different trends of dietary patterns emerging from the analysis will contribute to the comprehension of the evolution of food habits during the Bronze Age.
"
Varalli A, Goude G, Moggi Cecchi J.
A.Varalli, J.Moggi Cecchi, G.Goude
Dori I., Varalli A., Boccone S., Bortoluzzi S., Tafuri M., Moggi Cecchi J.
The excavation of the necropolis of Arano (2007) has unearthed 68 burials for a total of 74 indiv... more The excavation of the necropolis of Arano (2007) has unearthed 68 burials for a total of 74 individuals and, for the sample size, this is the most important finding in Northern Italy for the Early Bronze Age. Conservation was very poor and a long restoration process was required. To the present day 38 individuals have been examined: 16 males, 5 females and 17 undetermined (14 subadults).
Some individuals have been sampled to reconstruct the diet of this population. The C and N stable isotopes analysis showed that the agriculture was based on the cultivation of C3 cereal-type (barley, wheat: “Neolithic package”), whereas in other sites more or less contemporary from Northern Italy, a different agricultural practice has been recorded with production and consumption of millet (C4 plant type).
In this paper we are reporting the preliminary results of anthropological investigations and stable isotopes analysis.
Mary Anne Tafuri, Michele Cupitò, Luciano Salzani, Jacopo Moggi Cecchi, Alessandra Varalli, Alessandro Canci
With most palaeoeconomic studies continuing to equate economy with a list of the foods humans ate... more With most palaeoeconomic studies continuing to equate economy with a list of the foods humans ate, the complexity of dietary practices in prehistoric Italy has seldom been questioned. This is particularly true for later phases of the prehistory, when the onset of fully productive economies has diverted the attention on food as a proxy of cultural change. One reason for this has been limited methodologies for investigating not only what foods were produced but also what foods people consumed. Stable Carbon and Nitrogen isotope analysis of human collagen preserved in ancient skeletal remains represents a direct scientific method to investigate on the diet of past populations, and is increasingly applied in archaeological investigations.
We have undertaken an isotope investigation on human and animal collagen from several Bronze Age sites of the Peninsula. Our results have revealed substantial distinctions between northern and southern regions, with the presence of specialized crops at very early phases. Intrasite differences are also indicative of social complexity and might relate to conflict and warfare.
Varalli A., Tafuri M., Boccone S., Bortoluzzi S., Salzani L., Salzani P., Moggi Cecchi J.
The skeletal remains from the Early Bronze Age necropolis of Arano di Cellore (Illasi-Verona), ha... more The skeletal remains from the Early Bronze Age necropolis of Arano di Cellore (Illasi-Verona), have been studied for their stable isotopes content, aimed at the reconstruction of the diet of this population. The C and N stable isotopes analysis showed that the agriculture in Arano was based on the cultivation of C3 cereal-type, typical of the so-called 'Neolithic package' consisting in barley, corn and wheat. In particular, the analysis yielded isotope values concentrated in a very narrow range, that indicates an homogeneous diet with no significant differences between the categories identified (burials with and without grave goods, deposition of the body on the left and right side, orientation of the skull to the North and South). Differences are apparent between sexes with slightly higher nitrogen values for men – although this results need to be confirmed. When the Arano stable isotope results are compared with the more or less contemporary sites from Northern Italy, as Sedegliano (UD) and Olmo di Nogara (VR), a different agricultural practice is evident. At the two latter sites a production and consumption of millet and C4 plant types, identified by different isotopic values, can be suggested. The exploitation of these plants in Central and Northern Europe suggests communications and trades with these areas, for which similar studies revealed a consumption of C4 species in the middle and late Bronze Age.
Papers by Alessandra Varalli
FOOD AND WINE IN ANCIENT VERONA CIBO E VINO NELLA VERONA ANTICA, 2024
Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, 2024
Scientific Reports
This study investigates changes in dietary practices and subsistence strategies in Bronze Age Ita... more This study investigates changes in dietary practices and subsistence strategies in Bronze Age Italy integrating isotopic analyses with archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data. By investigating food habits, we contribute to reconstructing human lifestyles and highlighting possible links with the economic/social organization when the rise of stratified societies and new economic activities affected subsistence practices. Stable isotopes analyses in humans and animals were performed on 6 Italian sites dating from 2300 to 900 cal. BC, followed by a complete review of additional 19 sites, which forms the basis of a diachronic and geographic comparison for Bronze Age Italy. The geographic analysis shows a more varied diet in northern and central Italy, compared to the south. The diachronic analysis highlights the homogeneity of food habits during the Early Bronze Age, contrary to the later phases when an increase in dietary variability and a higher animal protein consumption are revea...
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2023
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2023
The Upper Seine Valley sees during the Bronze Age an increase in settlements and cemeteries chara... more The Upper Seine Valley sees during the Bronze Age an increase in settlements and cemeteries characterized by a variety of architectures and funerary practices. This variability originates from the coalescence of two cultural traditions, the Atlantic culture from the northwest and the Continental culture from the east, which find its roots in the Upper Rhine area. In this context, our research aims to understand the cultural identity of these communities by reconstructing subsistence economy and palaeodietary patterns and to trace human mobility, which influenced lifestyle and social-economic dynamics. Adding new 10 AMS dating and using multi-isotope (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 34 S) and multi-proxy (botanical, animal and human remains) biochemical investigations, we detected changes in dietary habits throughout the Bronze Age linked to varying C 3 and C 4 plant consumption and diverse animal protein intake by humans. Three main outcomes are highlighted: (1) a variety of farming strategies with different manuring intensity according to the cereal species; (2) site-specific dietary patterns; (3) an increase in millet and animal protein intake during the Late Bronze Age. Moreover, results from one cemetery reveal that individual mobility is more significant for males. These dietary variations, differential agricultural strategies and mobility are consistent with other western Europe research, supporting major global changes in all of Europe at the end of the Bronze Age.
Scientific Report, 2022
This study investigates changes in dietary practices and subsistence strategies in Bronze Age Ita... more This study investigates changes in dietary practices and subsistence strategies in Bronze Age Italy
integrating isotopic analyses with archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data. By investigating
food habits, we contribute to reconstructing human lifestyles and highlighting possible links with
the economic/social organization when the rise of stratified societies and new economic activities
affected subsistence practices. Stable isotopes analyses in humans and animals were performed on
6 Italian sites dating from 2300 to 900 cal. BC, followed by a complete review of additional 19 sites,
which forms the basis of a diachronic and geographic comparison for Bronze Age Italy. The geographic
analysis shows a more varied diet in northern and central Italy, compared to the south. The diachronic
analysis highlights the homogeneity of food habits during the Early Bronze Age, contrary to the later
phases when an increase in dietary variability and a higher animal protein consumption are revealed.
The Middle Bronze Age appears as a pivotal moment in protohistoric societies, a phase of transition.
The consumption of different foodstuffs highlights the importance of cultural exchanges, resulting
in a sort of “food globalization”, although environmental and climatic fluctuations could also have
affected dietary patterns, favoring some crops over others.
1843èmes Journées de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris, Jan 24, 2018
Power Point presentation given at the 12th International Meeting on Phytolith Research (IMPR) hel... more Power Point presentation given at the 12th International Meeting on Phytolith Research (IMPR) held in Khiel, Germany as part of the International Meeting of the EUropean Association of Archaeologists. The work is part of the ERC funded Starting Grant RAINDROPS (ERC-Stg 759800).
L’Âge du Bronze est un moment de changement pour les groupes humains en Italie : les attestations... more L’Âge du Bronze est un moment de changement pour les groupes humains en Italie : les attestations archeologiques montrent comment les nouvelles pratiques agricoles, le systeme d’elevage et le developpement de nouvelles activites economiques sont diffuses differemment selon les regions, conformement a l’environnement et aux facteurs sociaux. L’etude des strategies de subsistance et des comportements socio-economiques a travers l’analyse des patrons alimentaires en Italie, pendant l’Âge du Bronze est donc proposee. L’enjeu est de comprendre comment les habitudes alimentaires refletent ces transformations et d’analyser l’introduction et consommation de nouvelles ressources vegetales et animales. Sur la base d’une approche diachronique et geographique, l’evolution des habitudes alimentaires a travers les analyses des isotopes stables dans le collagene des os humains et animaux est presentee. L’etude se concentre sur dix sites datant de 2300-930 av. J.-C. L’analyse au niveau geographique...
La Liguria, per la particolare ricchezza di ritrovamenti archeologici di epoca Pre e Protostorica... more La Liguria, per la particolare ricchezza di ritrovamenti archeologici di epoca Pre e Protostorica, ha permesso di sviluppare un’approfondita analisi di tipo paleonutrizionale. In questo lavoro viene presentata una sintesi di quanto emerso dall’analisi degli isotopi stabili di carbonio ed azoto di resti umani e animali di alcune comunita del Ponente ligure. Una descrizione maggiormente dettagliata e dedicata ai risultati inediti ottenuti da due siti dell’eta del Bronzo-inizio eta del Ferro: Grotta del Pertuso e Buco del Diavolo (Triora, Imperia). Nel complesso, l’analisi diacronica mette in evidenza come, nel corso della Preistoria recente, si siano verificati due grandi momenti di rottura a livello di abitudini alimentari. La prima si manifesta con il fenomeno della sedentarizzazione, dove le risorse terrestri vengono a sostituire le risorse acquatiche nella dieta e un secondo considerevole cambiamento si rileva in corrispondenza dell’eta del Ferro: pur mantenendosi le risorse terre...
PLOS ONE, 2021
The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strat... more The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strategies due to innovative farming techniques and new crop cultivation. Increasing cultural exchanges affected the economic system. The inhabitants of Switzerland played a pivotal role in this European context through relationships with the Mediterranean, the High and Middle Danube regions and the Alps thanks to the area’s central position. This research aims to reconstruct, for the first time in Switzerland, human socio-economic systems through the study of human diet, herding and farming practices and their changes throughout the Bronze Age (2200–800 BCE) by means of biochemical markers. The study includes 41 human, 22 terrestrial and aquatic animal specimens and 30 charred seeds and chaff samples from sites in western Switzerland. Stable isotope analyses were performed on cereal and legume seeds (δ13C, δ15N), animal bone collagen (δ13Ccoll, δ15N, δ34S), human bone and tooth dentine colla...
We report the discovery and analysis of new Mesolithic human remains-dated to ca. 10,200-9000 cal... more We report the discovery and analysis of new Mesolithic human remains-dated to ca. 10,200-9000 cal. BP-from Arma di Nasino in Liguria, northwestern Italy, an area rich in Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic attestations, but for which little information on Early Holocene occupation was available. The multiproxy isotopic profile of the two individuals reveals that-despite the proximity of the site to the Mediterranean seashore and the use of shellfish as decorative elements in burials-the ecology of these foragers was based on the exploitation of high-altitude resources, presumably in the nearby western Alps. This constitutes the first direct evidence in northwestern Italy of a significant ecological shift towards higher altitudes following deglaciation, especially when compared to isotopic data of the Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from the nearby site of Arene Candide Cave, who exploited terrestrial resources nearer to the coast and at lower altitudes. While the biochemistry of Nasino's skeletal assemblage revealed new details on Early Holocene lifeways in the area, the osteobiography of one individual offers glimpses into the life experience of a specific female forager, depicting a scenario of early skeletal trauma, developmental disturbances, long-term impairments, and resilience amongst the last European hunter-gatherers. Between the beginning of the Holocene (11,700 cal. BP 1) and the diffusion of the Neolithic in Europe, Mesolithic foragers adapted to the rapidly warming climate by modifying the subsistence patterns that had characterized the preceding Upper Paleolithic, or by adopting new ones altogether 2,3. As the land was freed from ice by the warming climate, new high-altitude hunting grounds began to be exploited in mountainous areas such as the Alps, while in coastal areas of the Atlantic façade and in the southern Baltic region, the exploitation of coastal resources-primarily shellfish-became important 3. However, our knowledge about the paleoecology of Early Mesolithic foragers (ca. 1100-8500 cal. BP) is often limited and biased by the facts that most sites are surface artifact scatters 2 , and that most of the coastal sites occupied in the earlier phases are now under water 3,4. In this context, human remains and burials can provide rare glimpses of direct information on several aspects of human biocultural adaptations that most sites cannot, such as diet 5,6 , mobility and activity patterns 7-9 , and social complexity 3,10 .
Varalli A, Moggi Cecchi J, Goude G.
Varalli A., Moggi Cecchi J., Goude G.
"The Bronze Age is a crucial period of change, when “non-organized” human groups give way to more... more "The Bronze Age is a crucial period of change, when “non-organized” human groups give way to more structured and hierarchical communities, trade activities leads to new social relationships and agriculture and livestock farming become the key changes of new life habits. This progress is sustained by the introduction of new crops and improvements in the food production capacity. The variability of dietary patterns is one of the resultants of these modifications. Our paper presents dietary trends in Italy during Bronze Age (2300-1120 BC) evaluated through multi-element stable isotope analyses (C, N, S), measured on bone collagen. We present original data from 4 sites in 3 Italian regions (n=169), compared with previous results from 3 sites in central Italy (n=43). The results highlight different food choices due to the local environment, social complexity and probably different purposes of the area chosen for the necropolis. Presence of non-local individuals and first introduction of millet during Middle Bronze Age are discussed. At one site, the high level protein diet hints at marine food consumption for a few individuals. The different trends of dietary patterns emerging from the analysis will contribute to the comprehension of the evolution of food habits during the Bronze Age.
"
Varalli A, Goude G, Moggi Cecchi J.
A.Varalli, J.Moggi Cecchi, G.Goude
Dori I., Varalli A., Boccone S., Bortoluzzi S., Tafuri M., Moggi Cecchi J.
The excavation of the necropolis of Arano (2007) has unearthed 68 burials for a total of 74 indiv... more The excavation of the necropolis of Arano (2007) has unearthed 68 burials for a total of 74 individuals and, for the sample size, this is the most important finding in Northern Italy for the Early Bronze Age. Conservation was very poor and a long restoration process was required. To the present day 38 individuals have been examined: 16 males, 5 females and 17 undetermined (14 subadults).
Some individuals have been sampled to reconstruct the diet of this population. The C and N stable isotopes analysis showed that the agriculture was based on the cultivation of C3 cereal-type (barley, wheat: “Neolithic package”), whereas in other sites more or less contemporary from Northern Italy, a different agricultural practice has been recorded with production and consumption of millet (C4 plant type).
In this paper we are reporting the preliminary results of anthropological investigations and stable isotopes analysis.
Mary Anne Tafuri, Michele Cupitò, Luciano Salzani, Jacopo Moggi Cecchi, Alessandra Varalli, Alessandro Canci
With most palaeoeconomic studies continuing to equate economy with a list of the foods humans ate... more With most palaeoeconomic studies continuing to equate economy with a list of the foods humans ate, the complexity of dietary practices in prehistoric Italy has seldom been questioned. This is particularly true for later phases of the prehistory, when the onset of fully productive economies has diverted the attention on food as a proxy of cultural change. One reason for this has been limited methodologies for investigating not only what foods were produced but also what foods people consumed. Stable Carbon and Nitrogen isotope analysis of human collagen preserved in ancient skeletal remains represents a direct scientific method to investigate on the diet of past populations, and is increasingly applied in archaeological investigations.
We have undertaken an isotope investigation on human and animal collagen from several Bronze Age sites of the Peninsula. Our results have revealed substantial distinctions between northern and southern regions, with the presence of specialized crops at very early phases. Intrasite differences are also indicative of social complexity and might relate to conflict and warfare.
Varalli A., Tafuri M., Boccone S., Bortoluzzi S., Salzani L., Salzani P., Moggi Cecchi J.
The skeletal remains from the Early Bronze Age necropolis of Arano di Cellore (Illasi-Verona), ha... more The skeletal remains from the Early Bronze Age necropolis of Arano di Cellore (Illasi-Verona), have been studied for their stable isotopes content, aimed at the reconstruction of the diet of this population. The C and N stable isotopes analysis showed that the agriculture in Arano was based on the cultivation of C3 cereal-type, typical of the so-called 'Neolithic package' consisting in barley, corn and wheat. In particular, the analysis yielded isotope values concentrated in a very narrow range, that indicates an homogeneous diet with no significant differences between the categories identified (burials with and without grave goods, deposition of the body on the left and right side, orientation of the skull to the North and South). Differences are apparent between sexes with slightly higher nitrogen values for men – although this results need to be confirmed. When the Arano stable isotope results are compared with the more or less contemporary sites from Northern Italy, as Sedegliano (UD) and Olmo di Nogara (VR), a different agricultural practice is evident. At the two latter sites a production and consumption of millet and C4 plant types, identified by different isotopic values, can be suggested. The exploitation of these plants in Central and Northern Europe suggests communications and trades with these areas, for which similar studies revealed a consumption of C4 species in the middle and late Bronze Age.
FOOD AND WINE IN ANCIENT VERONA CIBO E VINO NELLA VERONA ANTICA, 2024
Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology, 2024
Scientific Reports
This study investigates changes in dietary practices and subsistence strategies in Bronze Age Ita... more This study investigates changes in dietary practices and subsistence strategies in Bronze Age Italy integrating isotopic analyses with archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data. By investigating food habits, we contribute to reconstructing human lifestyles and highlighting possible links with the economic/social organization when the rise of stratified societies and new economic activities affected subsistence practices. Stable isotopes analyses in humans and animals were performed on 6 Italian sites dating from 2300 to 900 cal. BC, followed by a complete review of additional 19 sites, which forms the basis of a diachronic and geographic comparison for Bronze Age Italy. The geographic analysis shows a more varied diet in northern and central Italy, compared to the south. The diachronic analysis highlights the homogeneity of food habits during the Early Bronze Age, contrary to the later phases when an increase in dietary variability and a higher animal protein consumption are revea...
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2023
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2023
The Upper Seine Valley sees during the Bronze Age an increase in settlements and cemeteries chara... more The Upper Seine Valley sees during the Bronze Age an increase in settlements and cemeteries characterized by a variety of architectures and funerary practices. This variability originates from the coalescence of two cultural traditions, the Atlantic culture from the northwest and the Continental culture from the east, which find its roots in the Upper Rhine area. In this context, our research aims to understand the cultural identity of these communities by reconstructing subsistence economy and palaeodietary patterns and to trace human mobility, which influenced lifestyle and social-economic dynamics. Adding new 10 AMS dating and using multi-isotope (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 34 S) and multi-proxy (botanical, animal and human remains) biochemical investigations, we detected changes in dietary habits throughout the Bronze Age linked to varying C 3 and C 4 plant consumption and diverse animal protein intake by humans. Three main outcomes are highlighted: (1) a variety of farming strategies with different manuring intensity according to the cereal species; (2) site-specific dietary patterns; (3) an increase in millet and animal protein intake during the Late Bronze Age. Moreover, results from one cemetery reveal that individual mobility is more significant for males. These dietary variations, differential agricultural strategies and mobility are consistent with other western Europe research, supporting major global changes in all of Europe at the end of the Bronze Age.
Scientific Report, 2022
This study investigates changes in dietary practices and subsistence strategies in Bronze Age Ita... more This study investigates changes in dietary practices and subsistence strategies in Bronze Age Italy
integrating isotopic analyses with archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data. By investigating
food habits, we contribute to reconstructing human lifestyles and highlighting possible links with
the economic/social organization when the rise of stratified societies and new economic activities
affected subsistence practices. Stable isotopes analyses in humans and animals were performed on
6 Italian sites dating from 2300 to 900 cal. BC, followed by a complete review of additional 19 sites,
which forms the basis of a diachronic and geographic comparison for Bronze Age Italy. The geographic
analysis shows a more varied diet in northern and central Italy, compared to the south. The diachronic
analysis highlights the homogeneity of food habits during the Early Bronze Age, contrary to the later
phases when an increase in dietary variability and a higher animal protein consumption are revealed.
The Middle Bronze Age appears as a pivotal moment in protohistoric societies, a phase of transition.
The consumption of different foodstuffs highlights the importance of cultural exchanges, resulting
in a sort of “food globalization”, although environmental and climatic fluctuations could also have
affected dietary patterns, favoring some crops over others.
1843èmes Journées de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris, Jan 24, 2018
Power Point presentation given at the 12th International Meeting on Phytolith Research (IMPR) hel... more Power Point presentation given at the 12th International Meeting on Phytolith Research (IMPR) held in Khiel, Germany as part of the International Meeting of the EUropean Association of Archaeologists. The work is part of the ERC funded Starting Grant RAINDROPS (ERC-Stg 759800).
L’Âge du Bronze est un moment de changement pour les groupes humains en Italie : les attestations... more L’Âge du Bronze est un moment de changement pour les groupes humains en Italie : les attestations archeologiques montrent comment les nouvelles pratiques agricoles, le systeme d’elevage et le developpement de nouvelles activites economiques sont diffuses differemment selon les regions, conformement a l’environnement et aux facteurs sociaux. L’etude des strategies de subsistance et des comportements socio-economiques a travers l’analyse des patrons alimentaires en Italie, pendant l’Âge du Bronze est donc proposee. L’enjeu est de comprendre comment les habitudes alimentaires refletent ces transformations et d’analyser l’introduction et consommation de nouvelles ressources vegetales et animales. Sur la base d’une approche diachronique et geographique, l’evolution des habitudes alimentaires a travers les analyses des isotopes stables dans le collagene des os humains et animaux est presentee. L’etude se concentre sur dix sites datant de 2300-930 av. J.-C. L’analyse au niveau geographique...
La Liguria, per la particolare ricchezza di ritrovamenti archeologici di epoca Pre e Protostorica... more La Liguria, per la particolare ricchezza di ritrovamenti archeologici di epoca Pre e Protostorica, ha permesso di sviluppare un’approfondita analisi di tipo paleonutrizionale. In questo lavoro viene presentata una sintesi di quanto emerso dall’analisi degli isotopi stabili di carbonio ed azoto di resti umani e animali di alcune comunita del Ponente ligure. Una descrizione maggiormente dettagliata e dedicata ai risultati inediti ottenuti da due siti dell’eta del Bronzo-inizio eta del Ferro: Grotta del Pertuso e Buco del Diavolo (Triora, Imperia). Nel complesso, l’analisi diacronica mette in evidenza come, nel corso della Preistoria recente, si siano verificati due grandi momenti di rottura a livello di abitudini alimentari. La prima si manifesta con il fenomeno della sedentarizzazione, dove le risorse terrestri vengono a sostituire le risorse acquatiche nella dieta e un secondo considerevole cambiamento si rileva in corrispondenza dell’eta del Ferro: pur mantenendosi le risorse terre...
PLOS ONE, 2021
The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strat... more The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strategies due to innovative farming techniques and new crop cultivation. Increasing cultural exchanges affected the economic system. The inhabitants of Switzerland played a pivotal role in this European context through relationships with the Mediterranean, the High and Middle Danube regions and the Alps thanks to the area’s central position. This research aims to reconstruct, for the first time in Switzerland, human socio-economic systems through the study of human diet, herding and farming practices and their changes throughout the Bronze Age (2200–800 BCE) by means of biochemical markers. The study includes 41 human, 22 terrestrial and aquatic animal specimens and 30 charred seeds and chaff samples from sites in western Switzerland. Stable isotope analyses were performed on cereal and legume seeds (δ13C, δ15N), animal bone collagen (δ13Ccoll, δ15N, δ34S), human bone and tooth dentine colla...
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2021
Abstract The Arene Candide Cave is a renowned site on the northwestern Italian coast that has yie... more Abstract The Arene Candide Cave is a renowned site on the northwestern Italian coast that has yielded numerous burials dating back to the terminal phases of the Pleistocene (Epigravettian culture). Thanks to the exceptional preservation of the remains, and to the information collected during the excavations that begun in the 1940s, researchers were able to reconstruct a complex pattern of manipulation of older burials that consistently occurred when interring new individuals. Therefore, the Epigravettian necropolis provides a rare glimpse into the modalities, and possibly the motives, of funerary behavior in the Late Upper Paleolithic, a period during which formal burial was highly selective. The reasons for this selection are still unclear, but it has been proposed that they may be related to “exceptional events” (violence and trauma) and “exceptional people” (disease and deformities due to congenital conditions). This study presents an assemblage of hundreds of skeletal elements and fragments belonging to two new individuals, and to individuals of the necropolis that were already known. The remains, which had never been described since their excavation in 1940–42, were discovered during the reassessment of the collections kept at the Museum of Natural History, Section of Anthropology and Ethnology of the University of Florence. The analysis extends our knowledge of the biological profile of the individuals buried at the site, which is fundamental for our understanding of Late Upper Paleolithic funerary behavior. The inclusion of two new individuals in the skeletal series, both children aged around 1–1.5 years, suggests that age may have not been a significant factor in determining funerary treatment. New radiocarbon dates on human bone – together with the cross-referencing of the available dates with the stratigraphic relations between burials and clusters of bones in secondary deposit – suggest that the entire necropolis is bracketed within a millennium corresponding to the Younger Dryas cooling event (i.e. between ca. 12,900 and 11,600 cal BP). Arene Candide Cave was a highly-visible landmark in the landscape, and funerary gestures in the Epigravettian necropolis emphasized the ties with the ancestors. It is possible that funerary behavior at Arene Candide was a means of claiming territorial access to resources, as well as reinforcing and transmitting communal identity and values, through a period of climate-induced resource stress and competition. Isolation and small refugia during cooling events may have contributed to exacerbating genetic drift, and increased the frequency of cultural means to sanction “exceptional people and events”.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'Anthropologie de Paris, 2020
This study offers a combined analysis of longbone mechanical properties (cross-sectional geometry... more This study offers a combined analysis of longbone mechanical properties (cross-sectional geometry, CSG), upper-limb enthesopathies (entheseal changes, ECs), and external auditory exostoses (EAEs) among Neolithic people from Liguria (Italy). Previous CSG studies have suggested a high degree of mobility in mountainous terrain and sexual dimorphism in the upper limbs, with males being more oriented toward unimanual activities and females performing strenuous bimanual tasks. The aims of the study were to: 1) increase the sample size of the CSG analysis via the acquisition of surface 3D models, 2) provide a solid chronological framework through direct dating in order to allow for subsampling of individuals dated to the Impresso-Cardial Complex (ICC, c. 5800–5000 BCE) and the Square-Mouthed Pottery culture (c. 5000–4300 BCE), 3) integrate the results of CSG analysis with information on ECs of the humeral epicondyles, and 4) assess possible marine activities through analysis of EAEs. Resul...
International Journal of Paleopathology, 2020
International Journal of Paleopathology, 2020
Quaternary International, 2019
International Journal of Paleopathology, 2019
To assess developmental disturbances through the analysis of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) frequ... more To assess developmental disturbances through the analysis of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) frequency and to infer environmental stress and life history within Neolithic communities from Liguria (Italy). Materials: 43 unworn/minimally worn permanent anterior teeth of 13 individuals recovered from nearby caves and dated to c. 4800−4400 cal. BCE. Methods: LEH defects were identified with high-resolution macrophotos of dental replicas, age at LEH was calculated via perikymata counts. LEH defects matched between two or more teeth were considered as systemic disturbances. LEH frequency by age classes was analyzed via GLZ and Friedman ANOVA. Results: Number of matched defects per individual range between 2-12. The mean LEH per individual was highest in the 2.5-2.99 age category, with a significant increase relative to earlier growth stages, followed by a decline. Conclusion: LEH may reflect life-history in the local ecology of Neolithic Liguria, where several individuals with osteoarticular tuberculosis have been recorded. Disease burden may have triggered developmental disturbances around the time of weaning. Age at first defect was negatively correlated with age at death and positively with the total number of defects, suggesting that early stress may have affected survivorship. Significance: The study contributes to the reconstruction of ecological pressures among Neolithic people of Liguria, and informs on environmental challenges during the Neolithic adaptive expansion. Limitations: The visual examination of macrophotos is prone to observer error; mid-crown tends to display more visible LEH due to tooth architecture. Suggestions for further research: Apply different quantitative methods to examine severity and duration of disturbances.
Quaternary International, 2019
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2017
In recent years, the ever more frequent studies on the Bronze Age in northern Italy have shown th... more In recent years, the ever more frequent studies on the Bronze Age in northern Italy have shown the importance of this area for cultural and economic exchanges between central and southern Europe. The aim of the present multidisciplinary study was to define the health, behaviour and dietary habits in an Early-Middle Bronze Age skeletal sample from the Ballabio necropolis (Lecco, Italy). Skeletal remains were found in two adjacent funerary structures, interpreted as primary burials and as places of secondary deposition. Studies on the health and diet of the individuals were based on dental-alveolar features, and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios. The individuals exhibit a low prevalence of caries, abscesses and ante-mortem tooth loss, but do exhibit high calculus and alveolar resorption rates, suggesting a subsistence pattern based on pastoralism more than agriculture. Stable isotope ratios indicate a mixed diet and support the hypothesis of a protein intake based on terrestrial resources, with an appreciable amount of animal foodstuffs. There are no statistically significant sex or age differences, although adolescents and young adults (15–25 years old) seem to have consumed more animal protein. The isotope data from Ballabio are similar to other Early Bronze Age data collected from other sites in northern Italy. However, the pattern changed during the Middle Bronze Age, suggesting complex agricultural modifications in this area impacted by new crops such as millet.
1844èmes Journées de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris, 2019
La transition vers le mode de vie néolithique (économie basée sur la domestication des plantes et... more La transition vers le mode de vie néolithique (économie basée sur la domestication des plantes et animaux) a impacté en manière significative l’état sanitaire, l'alimentation, et l'activité humaine. Les nouvelles stratégies de subsistance ont permis l’introduction d’aliments de sevrage qui ont réduit la durée de l'allaitement et limité les intervalles entre les naissances, donnant lieu à une croissance démographique. En même temps, plusieurs études suggèrent que le passage à l'agriculture ait pu provoquer une détérioration des conditions de vie et sanitaires. Les groupes néolithiques ont été impacté par des facteurs de stress environnementaux, probablement causés par des changements des pratiques alimentaires, des stratégies de subsistance, de la pression démographique et de la diffusion de nouveaux pathogènes. Reconstituer l’histoire-de-vie d’un individu de la naissance jusqu'à la fin de l’enfance, est fondamental pour apprécier les adaptations humaines. La Ligurie (nord-ouest de l'Italie) est une région clé pour l'étude des adaptations bio-culturelles humaines néolithiques grâce à la découverte de nombreux sites liés à ces communautés. Cette étude porte sur les perturbations ontogénétiques par l'analyse de l'hypoplasie linéaire de l'émail (HLE) observés sur 38 dents de 12 inhumés des grottes de Ligurie (phase chrono-culturelle VBQ, c. 5000-4300 cal BC). Les HLE ont été analysés avec des images macrophotographiques à haute résolution. Une augmentation significative des HLE a été observée entre l'âge de 2,5-3 ans, et certains auteurs avancent l'hypothèse que, dans des échantillons archéologiques, les défauts de l'émail entre deux et quatre ans pourraient être liés au stress causé par le sevrage. Même s'il est impropre de corréler un seul défaut hypoplasique à une cause spécifique, les résultats obtenus suggèrent la présence de troubles précoces de la croissance dentaire, probablement due à une adaptation environnementale associée à une période de sevrage réduite par rapport au paléolithique (4-5 ans).
The aim of this study is to define the subsistence strategies and dietary habits of the Early-Mid... more The aim of this study is to define the subsistence strategies and dietary habits of the Early-Middle Bronze Age population of Ballabio (3230 ± 90 BP). This archaeological site, excavated in a rock shelter at 700 m a.s.l., was discovered in 2004 during a geological survey. Skeletal remains were found in two adjacent funerary structures, interpreted as primary burials and as places of secondary deposition. The MNI assessed was 27 subjects: 22 adults (6 females, 3 males, 13 undetermined) and 5 sub-adults. Paleonutritional analyses were conducted by evaluation of dental-alveolar features (caries, abscesses, ante mortem tooth loss, dental calculus, tooth wear, chipping, periodontal diseases and linear enamel hypoplasia) and isotopic survey. The dental analysis was carried out on 375 teeth: the individuals exhibited a low prevalence of caries, abscesses and ante mortem tooth loss, high calculus rates and severe wear, suggesting a subsistence pattern based on pastoralism and agriculture. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios, performed on 25 humans and 4 faunal remains (2 herbivores and 2 omnivores), confirm this trend showing a protein intake based on mixed C3-plants and animal products from the terrestrial environment. There is no statistical difference according to the sexes and ages; however adolescents and young adults (15-25 years old) seem to have consumed more animal proteins. Furthermore, the isotopic results are similar to Early Bronze Age and different from Middle Bronze Age sites in Northern Italy, suggesting the complexity of agricultural modification in this area firstly impacted by new crop.
American Association of Physical Anthropologists , 2019
Nowadays this is a very wide debated issue and our study contribute to untangle these complex dyn... more Nowadays this is a very wide debated issue and our study contribute to untangle these complex dynamics for protohistoric communities. Since prehistoric times, Switzerland has played a major role in European exchanges for its strategic position between the Danube area and the Mediterranean, offering pivotal information towards reconstructing human mobility during Bronze Age period. If preliminary studies on dental morphology and Sr analyses have been performed on western Switzerland on the previous Bell Beaker period showing a quite intense mobility, no investigations have ever conducted for the Bronze Age, attesting an important lack of information in this area.
20th Annual Conference of the British Association of Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology (BABAO), 2018
Childhood is an important life step since sub-adults, even after weaning, are still dependent on ... more Childhood is an important life step since sub-adults, even after weaning, are still dependent on their community. Biogeochemical methods using stable isotopes on different human tissues (e.g. bone, teeth, hair) offers direct proxies for the investigation of dietary intake during an individual’s life. Current knowledge of adult and sub-adult feeding practices for late Prehistory is still quite limited. We investigate whether changes in subsistence strategies attested in the Mediterranean area during the Bronze Age are recorded in western Europe and if they affected human diet during childhood as well as during adulthood.
The analyses were conducted on 41 individuals from 3 cemeteries in western Switzerland (Collombey-Muraz/Barmaz, Vufflens-la-Ville/En Sency, Tolochenaz/Le Boiron et La Caroline), dated from Early to Final Bronze Age (2200-800 cal. BCE). We performed multielement/multi-tissue stable isotope analysis (C, N, S on bone and dentine collagen; C on apatite enamel of M2) to infer the human diet from childhood to adult life, excluding weaning signal. In addition, 22 bone and teeth remains from terrestrial and aquatic animal species and 30 charred grains of cultivated plants were analysed to reconstruct the local isotopic baseline of the potential food resources.
Results indicate diachronic changes in food habits during the Bronze Age, possibly due to the introduction of new cereals like C4 plants (millets) beginning from the Final Bronze Age, i.e. at a later time when compared to other southern European countries (e.g. Italy). Additionally, apatite data suggest the direct consumption of C4 plants. The diet during childhood and adult life was generally similar, albeit with some exceptions, whatever the chronological period considered. This study suggests that C4 plants became a staple food during Final Bronze Age, rapidly after the introduction of this new crop in Lemanic basin.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2019
It is still debated whether the major cultural changes that occurred in Europe during the Bronze ... more It is still debated whether the major cultural changes that occurred in Europe during the Bronze Age (BA) were related to a circulation of knowledge or human migrations. Researches through multidisciplinary approaches (isotopes, archaeology) strongly contribute towards untangling these complex dynamics for pre-protohistoric communities. Since prehistoric times, Switzerland has played a major role in European exchanges for its strategic position between the Danube area and the Mediterranean, offering pivotal information towards reconstructing human mobility during BA period. Jointly analyzing anthropological, archaeological and isotopic data from three sites in western Switzerland (2200-800 cal. BCE), our aim is to shed light on residential mobility and social practices of BA European populations. We explored intersite/intrasite mobility throughout the BA via multi-element and multi-tissue isotope analysis (S on bone and dentine collagen; Sr on apatite enamel), by analysing sixty-three human and fauna samples.
Plos One, 2021
The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strat... more The archaeological Bronze Age record in Europe reveals unprecedented changes in subsistence strategies due to innovative farming techniques and new crop cultivation. Increasing cultural exchanges affected the economic system. The inhabitants of Switzerland played a pivotal role in this European context through relationships with the Mediterranean, the High and Middle Danube regions and the Alps thanks to the area's central position. This research aims to reconstruct, for the first time in Switzerland, human socioeconomic systems through the study of human diet, herding and farming practices and their changes throughout the Bronze Age (2200-800 BCE) by means of biochemical markers. The study includes 41 human, 22 terrestrial and aquatic animal specimens and 30 charred seeds and chaff samples from sites in western Switzerland. Stable isotope analyses were performed on cereal and legume seeds (δ 13 C, δ 15 N), animal bone collagen (δ 13 C coll , δ 15 N, δ 34 S), human bone and tooth dentine collagen (δ 13 C coll , δ 15 N,) and human tooth enamel (δ 13 C enamel). The isotopic data suggest a) an intensification of soil fertilization and no hydric stress throughout the Bronze Age, b) a human diet mainly composed of terrestrial resources despite the proximity of Lake Geneva and the Rhone river, c) a diet based on C 3 plants during the Early and Middle Bronze Age as opposed to the significant consumption of 13 C-enriched resources (probably millet) by individuals from the Final Bronze Age, d) no important changes in dietary patterns throughout an individual's lifespan but a more varied diet in childhood compared to adulthood, e) no differences in diet according to biological criteria (age, sex) or funerary behavior (burial architecture, grave goods). PLOS ONE PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.