POSTER: Diet and mobility during the Christian conquest of Iberia: The multi-isotopic investigation of a 12th-13th century military order in Évora, Portugal (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
The Kingdom of Portugal was established with the help of military-monastic orders, which provided important defence against Muslim armies during the 12th-13th century Christian conquest. While historical sources document the main events of this period, this research seeks to elucidate individual lifestyles and movement, aspects typically absent from written records. A multi-isotopic approach was used on skeletal material from eight Christian and two Muslim burials from Évora, Portugal (11th-13th centuries). Anthropological and archaeological evidence suggests the Christian adults belonged to the Évora Militia, which we seek to confirm through the reconstructed diet and mobility of these individuals. Stable carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes were measured in bone collagen, and radiogenic strontium, carbonate stable oxygen and apatite stable carbon isotopes were measured in tooth enamel. Results of the stable oxygen and radiogenic strontium isotopes indicated diverse origins of the Christian population, while at least one individual was local. The Muslim adult was local, as anticipated. The δ 13 C en (enamel) values provide evidence of childhood consumption of different cereals (C 3 and C 4), possibly linked to social status. The δ 13 C col (bone collagen) human values indicated mostly C 3 diets with varying inputs of C 4 , while δ 15 N reflected high protein intake overall. The mean diet-consumer spacing of this population was compared to other isotopic studies from Medieval Iberia and other European monastic/convent populations. A visible trend emerged in populations that likely followed religious fasting rules, including the Évora Christians. The results of this study indicate that the Order of Évora was composed of members from diverse geographic and possibly social origins, an aspect previously unclear in written sources.
Diet and dynamic of Christians and Muslims – A picture of Évora in the 8th-13th AD
Thirteen medieval skeletons excavated from the Museu de Évora (Portugal) cellars were studied through the stable isotopic analysis of carbon and nitrogen ratios in the bones using EA-IRMS (Elemental Analysis - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry) and the trace elements in their tooth enamel and dentine using LA-ICP-MS (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry) to reconstruct diet and understand social status between and within two distinct populations. Two individuals from the Islamic Period were found to have diets mainly based on C3 plants with some C4 or marine resource influences. The Medieval Christian adults, thought to be an elite order of knights who protected the city after the Reconquest of Portugal, displayed varied diets with mostly C3 plants and high levels of protein, probably marine-based. This supports historical documentation of restricted eating habits within the Order of Évora and also of the diverse origins of the order’s members. The concentrations of Ba and Sr relative to Ca in the tooth enamel were considered as additional paleodietary indicators. The extent of diagenesis was assessed in the bones using ATR-FTIR (Attenuated total reflection- Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) to measure crystallinity and collagen content, and collagen quality was assessed by carbon to nitrogen ratios in the elemental analyser. Skeletons from Survey 50 were found to be in a poorer state of preservation than those from the other zones. Diagenetic alteration in the teeth was evaluated with LA-ICP-MS by measuring U and rare earth element (REE) concentrations, and lead ingestion was identified in the enamel of two individual, one being the Muslim adult female and the other a young Medieval Christian adult.
This article investigates the diets of neighboring Christians and Muslims in late medieval Spain (here 13th-16th centuries) through the analysis of the stable isotopes of carbon (d 13 C) and nitrogen (d 15 N) in adult human and animal bone collagen. Twenty-four Christians and 20 Muslims are sampled from two adjacent and contemporaneous settlements in the township of Gand ıa on the Mediterranean coast, together with the remains of 24 animals. Statistical differences in both d 13 C and d 15 N reveal that the diets of the two faith com-munities differed, despite living side-by-side. These differences may relate to inequalities in their access to foodstuffs, particularly to C 3 /C 4 grain and/or possibly terrestrial meat sources, though cultural preferences are also highlighted. Isotopic values for animals were also found to vary widely, both between and within species, and this provides a window into the local livestock economy. Am J Phys Anthropol 000:000-000,
This paper investigates the diets of neighboring Christians and Muslims in late medieval Spain (here 13th–16th centuries) through the analysis of the stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) in adult human and animal bone collagen. Twenty-four Christians and 20 Muslims are sampled from two adjacent and contemporaneous settlements in the township of Gandía on the Mediterranean coast, together with the remains of 24 animals. Statistical differences in both δ13C and δ15N reveal that the diets of the two faith communities differed, despite living side-by-side. These differences may relate to inequalities in their access to foodstuffs, particularly to C3/C4 grain and/or possibly terrestrial meat sources, though cultural preferences are also highlighted. Isotopic values for animals were also found to vary widely, both between and within species, and this provides a window into the local livestock economy
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2014
This article investigates the diets of neighboring Christians and Muslims in late medieval Spain (here 13th-16th centuries) through the analysis of the stable isotopes of carbon (d 13 C) and nitrogen (d 15 N) in adult human and animal bone collagen. Twenty-four Christians and 20 Muslims are sampled from two adjacent and contemporaneous settlements in the township of Gand ıa on the Mediterranean coast, together with the remains of 24 animals. Statistical differences in both d 13 C and d 15 N reveal that the diets of the two faith com-munities differed, despite living side-by-side. These differences may relate to inequalities in their access to foodstuffs, particularly to C 3 /C 4 grain and/or possibly terrestrial meat sources, though cultural preferences are also highlighted. Isotopic values for animals were also found to vary widely, both between and within species, and this provides a window into the local livestock economy. Am J Phys Anthropol 000:000-000,
Plos ONE, 2024
In around 716 AD, the city of Santaré m, Portugal, was conquered by the Berber and Arab armies that swept the Iberian Peninsula and went on to rule the region until the 12 th century. Archaeological excavations in 2007/08 discovered an Islamic necropolis (Avenida 5 de Outubro #2-8) that appears to contain the remains of an early Muslim population in Santaré m (8 th-10 th century). In this study, skeletal material from 58 adult individuals was analysed for stable carbon (δ 13 C col ; δ 13 C ap), nitrogen (δ 15 N) and sulphur (δ 34 S) isotope ratios in bones, and stable oxygen (δ 18 O), carbon (δ 13 C en) and radiogenic strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) isotopes in tooth enamel. The results of this study revealed a dietary pattern of predominantly C 3-plant and domestic C 3-fed herbivore consumption during adulthood (δ 13 C col and δ 15 N, respectively) but a higher proportion of C 4-plant input during childhood (δ 13 C en) for some individuals-interpreted as possible childhood consumption of millet porridge, a common practice in North Africa-in those with unorthodox burial types (Groups 1 and 2) that was not practiced in the individuals with canonical burials (Group 3). In this first mobility study of a medieval Muslim population in Portugal, δ 18 O DW values revealed greater heterogeneity in Groups 1 and 2, consistent with diverse origins, some in more humid regions than Santaré m when compared to regional precipitation δ 18 O data, contrasting the more homogenous Group 3, consistent with the local precipitation δ 18 O range. Ancient DNA analysis conducted on three individuals revealed maternal (mtDNA) and paternal (Y-chromosome) lineages compatible with a North African origin for (at least) some of the individuals. Additionally, mobility of females in this population was higher than males, potentially resulting from a patrilocal social system, practiced in Berber and Arab communities. These results serve to offer a more detailed insight into the ancestry and cultural practices of early Muslim populations in Iberia.
Medieval Spain presents a unique opportunity to examine the archaeology of a multifaith society, first under Muslim and later under Christian rule. Unlike other areas of Europe, Spain has been neglected in archaeological studies of medieval diet. This paper presents a preliminary case study of a Christian population in Jaca, north-east Spain. Stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope ratios were measured in adult human bone collagen. Initial results suggest that the majority of Christians in the city in the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries ad consumed similar foodstuffs to Muslims in the nearby urban centre of Zaragoza two centuries before. Possible migrants have been identified with a significant proportion of C 4 in their diet, as opposed to the C 3 -based diet of the majority. Data from contemporaneous animal bone is essential to understand further trends observed in this preliminary study.
Diet and dynamic of the last muslims in Algarve during the 12th - 13th AD
2019
Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was done on bone collagen from 65 human samples and 20 faunal samples originating from Loulé, south Portugal; and 38 from these were analyzed for sulfur stable isotope. The human bone samples were excavated from 2 cemeteries outside the medieval wall of the city, while the faunal bones were excavated from trash pits in the historical center of Loulé. All samples represent Muslims dating from the Almohad period (c. 12th-13th AD), who were probably the last persons living under Islamic rule, before the conquest of Algarve in 1249. Faunal samples consumed a diet based mainly on C3-plants, differences were found in the δ15N values of fauna which allowed differentiation between wild and domestic animals. These diversity in values could reflect differences in animal foddering practices among the population. Results indicate that these individuals consumed a diet based on C3-plants (wheat, barley, olives, figs, etc.) with probably some inputs of ...
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2019
This paper presents the first bioarchaeological study of Islamic diet and lifeways in medieval Portugal. Stable isotopes of δ 13 C and δ 15 N and osteological and paleopathological analyses are combined to explore the diet and health status of 27 humans buried within São Jorge Castle, Lisbon (eleventh to twelfth century), interpreted as a high status population. Human isotopic data are considered alongside an animal baseline comprised of 30 specimens sampled from nearby Praça da Figueira, including the main domesticates and fish. Isotopic data indicate an age-and sex-related difference in diet among the population, suggesting a difference in food access between females and children compared to males. Palaeopathological analysis indicates a low prevalence of non-specific stress indicators such as Harris lines (HL), linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) and cribra orbitalia (CO) in this population in comparison to other medieval populations. LEH is only present in adults. These results suggest the presence of socio-cultural patterning relating to the organisation of the Islamic family, where women and men occupied different places in the household and society. This paper demonstrates the utility of a combined osteological and isotopic approach to understand the lifeways of Islamic populations in Medieval Iberia, as well as illuminates the lifeways of understudied segments of the population.
Beyond faith: Biomolecular evidence for changing urban economies in multi-faith medieval Portugal
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2021
Objectives: During the Middle Ages, Portugal witnessed unprecedented socioeconomic and religious changes under transitioning religious political rule. The implications of changing ruling powers for urban food systems and individual diets in medieval Portugal is poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the dietary impact of the Islamic and Christian conquests. Materials and Methods: Radiocarbon dating, peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS) and stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N) of animal (n = 59) and human skeletal remains (n = 205) from Muslim and Christian burials were used to characterize the diet of a large historical sample from Portugal. A Bayesian stable isotope mixing model (BSIMM) was used to estimate the contribution of marine protein to human diet. Results: Early medieval (8-12th century), preconquest urban Muslim populations had mean (±1SD) values of À18.8 ± 0.4 ‰ for δ 13 C 10.4 ± 1 ‰ for δ 15 N, indicating a predominantly terrestrial diet, while late medieval (12-14th century) postconquest Muslim and Christian populations showed a greater reliance on marine resources with mean (±1SD) values of À17.9 ± 1.3‰ for δ 13 C and 11.1 ± 1.1‰ for δ 15 N. BSIMM