Lombards on the Move - An Integrative Study of the Migration Period Cemetery at Szolad, Hungary

Autoren

Kurt W Alt
Corina Knipper
Daniel Peters
Wolfgang Müller
Anne-France Maurer
Isabelle Kollig
Nicole Nicklisch
Christiane Müller
Sarah Karimnia
Guido Brandt
Christina Roth
Martin Rosner
Balász Mende
Bernd R Schöne
Tivadar Vida
Uta von Freeden

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0110793

Editoren

Luca Bondioli

eISSN

1932-6203

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

11

Zeitschrift

PLoS ONE

Sprache

en

Online publication date

2014

Paginierung

e110793 - e110793

Status

Published online

Herausgeber

Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Herausgeber URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110793

Datum der Datenerfassung

2020

Titel

Lombards on the Move – An Integrative Study of the Migration Period Cemetery at Szólád, Hungary

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

9

Datenquelle: Crossref

Abstract

In 2005 to 2007 45 skeletons of adults and subadults were excavated at the Lombard period cemetery at Szólád (6th century A.D.), Hungary. Embedded into the well-recorded historical context, the article presents the results obtained by an integrative investigation including anthropological, molecular genetic and isotopic (δ(15)N, δ(13)C, (87)Sr/(86)Sr) analyses. Skeletal stress markers as well as traces of interpersonal violence were found to occur frequently. The mitochondrial DNA profiles revealed a heterogeneous spectrum of lineages that belong to the haplogroups H, U, J, HV, T2, I, and K, which are common in present-day Europe and in the Near East, while N1a and N1b are today quite rare. Evidence of possible direct maternal kinship was identified in only three pairs of individuals. According to enamel strontium isotope ratios, at least 31% of the individuals died at a location other than their birthplace and/or had moved during childhood. Based on the peculiar 87 Sr/86 Sr ratio distribution between females, males, and subadults in comparison to local vegetation and soil samples, we propose a three-phase model of group movement. An initial patrilocal group with narrower male but wider female Sr isotope distribution settled at Szólád, whilst the majority of subadults represented in the cemetery yielded a distinct Sr isotope signature. Owing to the virtual absence of Szólád-born adults in the cemetery, we may conclude that the settlement was abandoned after approx. one generation. Population heterogeneity is furthermore supported by the carbon and nitrogen isotope data. They indicate that a group of high-ranking men had access to larger shares of animal-derived food whilst a few individuals consumed remarkable amounts of millet. The inferred dynamics of the burial community are in agreement with hypotheses of a highly mobile lifestyle during the Migration Period and a short-term occupation of Pannonia by Lombard settlers as conveyed by written sources.

Addresses

Center for Natural and Cultural History of the Teeth, Danube Private University, Krems, Austria; State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt and State Museum of Prehistory, Halle, Germany; Institute for Prehistory and Archaeological Science, Basel University, Basel, Switzerland.

Autoren

Kurt W Alt
Corina Knipper
Daniel Peters
Wolfgang Müller
Anne-France Maurer
Isabelle Kollig
Nicole Nicklisch
Christiane Müller
Sarah Karimnia
Guido Brandt
Christina Roth
Martin Rosner
Balász Mende
Bernd R Schöne
Tivadar Vida
Uta von Freeden

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0110793

eISSN

1932-6203

Externe Identifier

PubMed Identifier: 25369022
PubMed Central ID: PMC4219681

Open access

true

ISSN

1932-6203

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

11

Zeitschrift

PloS one

Schlüsselwörter

Bone and Bones
Dental Enamel
Humans
Nitrogen Isotopes
Strontium Isotopes
Collagen
DNA, Mitochondrial
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Base Sequence
History, Medieval
Molecular Sequence Data
Hungary
Female
Male
Cemeteries
Human Migration

Sprache

eng

Medium

Electronic-eCollection

Online publication date

2014

Open access status

Open Access

Paginierung

e110793

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2014

Status

Published

Publisher licence

CC BY

Datum der Datenerfassung

2014

Titel

Lombards on the move--an integrative study of the migration period cemetery at Szólád, Hungary.

Sub types

Historical Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
research-article
Journal Article

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

9

Files

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110793&type=printable https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4219681?pdf=render

Datenquelle: Europe PubMed Central

Abstract

In 2005 to 2007 45 skeletons of adults and subadults were excavated at the Lombard period cemetery at Szólád (6th century A.D.), Hungary. Embedded into the well-recorded historical context, the article presents the results obtained by an integrative investigation including anthropological, molecular genetic and isotopic (δ(15)N, δ(13)C, (87)Sr/(86)Sr) analyses. Skeletal stress markers as well as traces of interpersonal violence were found to occur frequently. The mitochondrial DNA profiles revealed a heterogeneous spectrum of lineages that belong to the haplogroups H, U, J, HV, T2, I, and K, which are common in present-day Europe and in the Near East, while N1a and N1b are today quite rare. Evidence of possible direct maternal kinship was identified in only three pairs of individuals. According to enamel strontium isotope ratios, at least 31% of the individuals died at a location other than their birthplace and/or had moved during childhood. Based on the peculiar 87 Sr/86 Sr ratio distribution between females, males, and subadults in comparison to local vegetation and soil samples, we propose a three-phase model of group movement. An initial patrilocal group with narrower male but wider female Sr isotope distribution settled at Szólád, whilst the majority of subadults represented in the cemetery yielded a distinct Sr isotope signature. Owing to the virtual absence of Szólád-born adults in the cemetery, we may conclude that the settlement was abandoned after approx. one generation. Population heterogeneity is furthermore supported by the carbon and nitrogen isotope data. They indicate that a group of high-ranking men had access to larger shares of animal-derived food whilst a few individuals consumed remarkable amounts of millet. The inferred dynamics of the burial community are in agreement with hypotheses of a highly mobile lifestyle during the Migration Period and a short-term occupation of Pannonia by Lombard settlers as conveyed by written sources.

Date of acceptance

2014

Autoren

Kurt W Alt
Corina Knipper
Daniel Peters
Wolfgang Müller
Anne-France Maurer
Isabelle Kollig
Nicole Nicklisch
Christiane Müller
Sarah Karimnia
Guido Brandt
Christina Roth
Martin Rosner
Balász Mende
Bernd R Schöne
Tivadar Vida
Uta von Freeden

Autoren-URL

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25369022

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0110793

eISSN

1932-6203

Externe Identifier

PubMed Central ID: PMC4219681

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

11

Zeitschrift

PLoS One

Schlüsselwörter

Base Sequence
Bone and Bones
Cemeteries
Collagen
DNA, Mitochondrial
Dental Enamel
Female
History, Medieval
Human Migration
Humans
Hungary
Male
Molecular Sequence Data
Nitrogen Isotopes
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Strontium Isotopes

Sprache

eng

Country

United States

Paginierung

e110793

PII

PONE-D-14-23529

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2014

Status

Published online

Datum, an dem der Datensatz öffentlich gemacht wurde

2015

Titel

Lombards on the move--an integrative study of the migration period cemetery at Szólád, Hungary.

Sub types

Historical Article
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

9

Datenquelle: PubMed

Lombards on the Move - An Integrative Study of the Migration Period Cemetery at Szolad, Hungary

Files

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