ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Justinian plague and its subsequent outbreaks were major events influencing Early Medieval Europe. One of the affected communities was the population of Saint-Doulchard in France, where plague victim burials were concentrated in a cemetery enclosure ditch. This study aimed to obtain more information about their life-histories using the tools of isotope analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dietary analysis using carbon and nitrogen isotopes was conducted on 97 individuals buried at Le Pressoir in Saint-Doulchard, with 36 of those originating from the enclosure ditch. This sample set includes all individuals analyzed for plague DNA in a previous study. Mobility analysis using strontium isotope analysis supplements the dietary study, with 47 analyzed humans. The results are supported by a reference sample set of 31 animal specimens for dietary analysis and 9 for mobility analysis. RESULTS: The dietary analysis results showed significantly different dietary behavior in individuals from the ditch burials, with better access to higher quality foods richer in animal protein. 87Sr/86Sr ratios are similar for both studied groups and indicate a shared or similar area of origin. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that the ditch burials contain an urban population from the nearby city of Bourges, which overall had a better diet than the rural population from Saint-Doulchard. It is implied that city's population might have been subjected to high mortality rates during the plague outbreak(s), which led to their interment in nearby rural cemeteries.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to analyse the diet of a Merovingian population sample of 80 individuals buried at Norroy-le-Veneur, France, with regard to their social status and chronology. A carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of human adult bone collagen and related fauna from the same cemetery showed a diet based primarily on C3 plants, supplemented with animal protein in a range comparable to other contemporary sites. No significant contribution of C4 plants (e.g. millet) or marine-derived protein was detected. In terms of socio-economic stratification, individuals buried with rich grave good assemblages formed a narrow group with a significantly higher mean of δ13C than low-ranking individuals. We argue that this may represent a step in the gradual formation of the dietary exclusivity of Frankish elites, following a progressive rise in power of the Merovingian nobility. Also, during the timespan of the cemetery there was a population-wide decrease of 0.3 in the mean value of δ13C. The role of the Christian conversion of the population is questioned, but another factor influencing diet might have played a role.
