Beyond isolation: understanding past human-population variability in the Dutch town of Oldenzaal through the origin of its inhabitants and its infrastructural connections

Abstract

This study presents a first attempt to assess the mechanisms and potential controls behind past residential mobility through the integration of isotopic data from human inhumations and spatial infrastructural information pertaining to the settlement containing these inhumations. Strontium Reconstructions of historical route networks show that Oldenzaal was wellconnected interregionally throughout the Middle Ages and early-modern times (ca. AD 800-1600). Although the working hypothesis was that in the past a high degree of spatial connectivity of settlements must have been positively related to a highly variable geographical origin of its inhabitants, the isotopic data from Oldenzaal indicate a population characterized by a low variability in terms of their origin. This unexpected result may be caused by (a combination of) various factors, related to (1) biases in the isotopic dataset, (2) interpretative limitations regarding the results of isotopic analyses and (3) the impact of broader socio-cultural factors that cannot be traced through isotopic analyses, such as infrastructural connectivity, socio-economics and political factors. The human oxygen isotope dataset presented here provides a first step towards a δ 18O PDB reference dataset, against which future samples can be compared without the need to convert the data. This paper establishes that although in archaeology a biomolecular approach potentially provides a detailed reconstruction of the development of past populations in terms of palaeodemography and geographical/cultural origin, such studies should be performed in a transdisciplinary context in order to increase the understanding of the wider controlling factors of past population change.

The Anglo-Saxon migration and the formation of the early English gene pool

“…For teeth processed at the MPI-SHH, we cut along the cementum–enamel junction and collected powder by drilling into the pulp chamber. The teeth processed at the Leiden University Medical Centre were sampled according to a previously published paper 63 . For the petrous bones, we either cut the petrous pyramid longitudinally to drill the dense part directly from either side 64 or applied the cranial base drilling method as previously described 65 .…”

The Origin of Late Roman Period–Post-Migration Period Lithuanian Horses

“…The interpretation of the results is also hindered by the scarcity of data for the bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in Latvia, the Sambian Peninsula, and Northeast Poland, while in Belarus, the measurements of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr have not been conducted at all and the local baselines can only be surmised based on geological information. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios without a symbol are measured from archaeological fauna; * denotes ratios from archaeological human enamel; ** from ground water; *** from archaeological human dentine; **** from surface water [17,19,20,[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64].…”

“…Geological layers have been taken from IGME5000 (2005). N-Neogene; P-Paleogene; Cr-Cretaceous; J-Jurassic; T-Triassic; C-Carboniferous; D-Devonian; S-Silurian; O-Ordovician; Pr-Precambrian.87 Sr/86 Sr ratios without a symbol are measured from archaeological fauna; * denotes ratios from archaeological human enamel; ** from ground water; *** from archaeological human dentine; **** from surface water[17,19,20,[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64].…”

Donkalnio ir Spigino kapinynų akmens amžiaus žmonių kilmė ir mobilumas stroncio izotopų analizės duomenimis

“…N -Neogenas, P -Paleogenas, Cr -Kreida, J -Jura, T -Triasas, C -Karbonas, D -Devonas, S -Silūras, O -Ordovikas, Pr -Prekambras. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr vertės be žvaigždučių yra gautos iš archeologinių gyvūnų, * -iš žmonių emalio, ** -iš gruntinio vandens, *** -iš žmonių dentino, **** -iš paviršinio vandens (Åberg, Wickman 1987;Ahlström, Price 2021;Andersson et al 1992;Bäckström, Price 2016;Bentley, Knipper 2005;Bergerbrant et al 2017;Bläuer et al 2013;Boric, Price 2013;Fraser et al 2018;Frei et al 2019;Frei, Frei 2011;Gerling 2015;Kootker et al 2019;Löfvendahl et al 1990;Oras et al 2016;Piličiauskas et al, rengiama;Piličiauskienė et al, rengiama;Pospieszny et al 2015;Price et al 2004;Szczepanek et al 2018;Voerkelius et al 2010). G. Piličiausko brėž.…”

“…N -Neogene, P -Paleogene, Cr -Cretaceous, J -Jurassic, T -Triassic, C -Carboniferous, D -Devonian, S -Silurian, O -Ordovician, Pr -Precambrian. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios without a symbol are measured from archaeological fauna, * denotes ratios from archaeological human enamel, ** from ground water, *** from archaeological human dentine, **** from surface water (Åberg and Wickman 1987;Ahlström and Price 2021;Andersson et al 1992;Bäckström and Price 2016;Bentley and Knipper 2005;Bergerbrant et al 2017;Bläuer et al 2013;Boric and Price 2013;Fraser et al 2018;Frei and Frei 2011;Frei et al 2019;Gerling 2015;Kootker et al 2019;Löfvendahl et al 1990;Oras et al 2016;Piličiauskas et al in prep;Piličiauskienė et al in prep;Pospieszny et al 2015;Price et al 2004;Szczepanek et al 2018;Voerkelius et al 2010). Drawing by G. Piličiauskas pasiūlyta Donkalnio 2 ir 7 kapuose palaidotų žmonių interpretacija, kildinanti minėtus individus iš pietų Suomijos arba Karelijos.…”