Complementing and Complicating: Integrating Isotopic and Phenotypic Evidence at the Early Medieval Cemetery of Five Mile Lane

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Integrating Isotope Analyses: The State of Play and Future Directions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Isotopic and phenotypic methods are frequently employed in studies of migration and population affinity in the past; however, they are rarely integrated due to differences in scales. This paper presents a case study for the complementary use of multi-isotope (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ34S, δ13C, and δ15N) analysis and odontometric analysis to address questions of mobility and kinship. The site of Five Mile Lane (SE Wales) contained 378 inhumations cut into a probable Late Bronze Age burial mound, with burials spanning the period ca. AD 400–1200. Multi-isotope analysis on 60 individuals demonstrated regional and long-distance mobility throughout the population, situating this community within wider networks by identifying likely migrants from elsewhere in Britain and perhaps beyond. However, analysis of phenotypic affinity suggested that individuals of diverse origin were not necessarily biological outliers, and some may have descendants buried within the cemetery. By combining both types of data, it was possible to reveal more about the lived experiences of these individuals, contributing to questions of kin-based networks of mobility with new forms of evidence. The integration of isotopic and phenotypic data in this case study enabled greater specificity in the interpretation of the site than was possible using singular or independent methods.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• Integrating Isotope Analyses: The State of Play and Future Directions

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39961.0