The study of mobility in the Necropolis of Castel Sozzio through Stable Isotopes Analysis: trenches Beta and Gamma

Abstract

The study of human mobility can be attributed to one of the basic human behaviours such as movement across regions which reflects socio-cultural interactions in given time and space. In archaeology, the application of isotopic analyses plays a significant role in recording skeletal remains of their biochemical changes associated with mobility and dietary patterns. Thus, they provide further knowledge to understand the dynamics of past population better. This thesis intends to investigate the mobility at the necropolis of Castel Sozzio, in the province of Viterbo, Italy, for which fifteen samples from trenches beta and gamma were subjected to stable isotopes analyses. The description of observed mobility pattern in the site has been given by employing strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) measured in human dental enamel. The results will offer insights into a substantial segment of Castel Sozzio's population. These revelations will inevitably prompt additional inquiries, progressively unveiling more about life in the Middle Tiber Valley in the period spanning from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages.