Exploring mobility in Italian Neolithic and Copper Age communities.

Area of Science:

• Paleoanthropology
• Isotope Geochemistry
• Archaeology

Background:

• Investigating human mobility is crucial for understanding past societies.
• Previous research on Italian Neolithic and Copper Age populations has limited mobility data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reconstruct human mobility patterns in central and southern Italy from the late Neolithic to the Copper Age.
• To analyze dietary resources and water sources of these ancient communities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of enamel oxygen and carbon isotope values (δ18Oca and δ13Cca) from biogenic apatite.
• Utilized a novel dataset from 126 teeth across 10 archaeological sites (2 Neolithic, 8 Copper Age).

Main Results:

• δ18Oca values indicate reliance on local water sources.
• δ13Cca values suggest diets primarily based on C3 plants.
• Low outlier rates suggest predominantly sedentary lifestyles in both Neolithic and Copper Age communities.

Conclusions:

• The studied Neolithic and Copper Age populations in peninsular Italy were largely sedentary.
• Mobility patterns differed significantly from subsequent Bronze Age communities in northern areas.