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Research Article

Multi-isotopic analysis reveals individual mobility and diet at the early iron age monumental tumulus of magdalenenberg, germany

  1. Vicky M. Oelze1,*,
  2. Julia K. Koch2,
  3. Katharina Kupke2,
  4. Olaf Nehlich1,
  5. Steve Zäuner3,
  6. Joachim Wahl3,4,
  7. Stephan M. Weise5,
  8. Sabine Rieckhoff2,
  9. Michael P. Richards1,6

Article first published online: 3 MAY 2012

DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22063

Issue

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Volume 148, Issue 3, pages 406–421, July 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Oelze, V. M., Koch, J. K., Kupke, K., Nehlich, O., Zäuner, S., Wahl, J., Weise, S. M., Rieckhoff, S. and Richards, M. P. (2012), Multi-isotopic analysis reveals individual mobility and diet at the early iron age monumental tumulus of magdalenenberg, germany. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 148: 406–421. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.22063

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

  2. 2

    Department of Pre- and Protohistory, Leipzig University, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany

  3. 3

    Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Work Group Paleoanthropology, Tuebingen University, D-72070 Tuebingen, Germany

  4. 4

    State Office for Cultural Heritage Management Baden-Wuerttemberg, Osteology, D-78467 Constance, Germany

  5. 5

    Department of Catchment Hydrology, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), Halle, D-06120 Halle, Germany

  6. 6

    Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z1

*Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 JUN 2012
  2. Article first published online: 3 MAY 2012
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 24 FEB 2012
  4. Manuscript Received: 4 OCT 2011

Funded by

  • Federal Ministry for Education and Science, Germany (BMBF), Förderkennzeichen 01UA0811B
  • Max Planck Society

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Keywords:

  • strontium;
  • oxygen;
  • sulfur;
  • carbon;
  • nitrogen

Abstract

For the Early Iron Age western Hallstatt culture, which includes the site of Magdalenenberg in southwest Germany, it has been proposed that people were mobile and maintained far reaching social and trading networks throughout Europe. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing multiple isotopes (strontium, oxygen, sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen) of the preserved skeletons from the Magdalenenberg elite cemetery to determine diets and to look for evidence of mobility. The analysis of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios in collagen of humans (n = 50) and associated domestic fauna (n = 10) indicates a terrestrial-based diet. There was a heterogeneous range of isotope values in both strontium (0.70725 to 0.71923, n = 76) and oxygen (13.4‰ to 18.5‰, n = 78) measured in tooth enamel. Although many of the individuals had values consistent with being from Hallstatt culture sites within southwest Germany, some individuals likely originated from further afield. Possible areas include the Alps of Switzerland and Austria or even locations in Italy. Our study strongly supports the assumption of far reaching social and economic networks in the western Hallstatt culture. Am J Phys Anthropol 148:406–421, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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