Diet, mobility, and life histories during the early medieval period at San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy

This study investigates the life histories of three burials discovered in 2015, close to San Vito al Tagliamento, northeastern Italy. Despite the poor preservation of the skeletal remains and the paucity of contextual archaeological information, by using a multi-proxy approach including osteological analysis, radiocarbon dating, and isotopic analyses (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium isotopes), it has been possible to reconstruct the palaeomobility, dietary habits, and weaning patterns of the three individuals. Results place the burials in the early medieval period (most likely in the 8th c. AD), suggest a local origin for the individuals, with small-scale mobility patterns detected for two of them, and indicate a diet heavily reliant on C4 terrestrial food sources. The isotopic evidence also suggests distinct weaning practices. This research highlights the potential of modern scientific techniques to yield significant insights into the lifeways of individuals from poorly preserved skeletal remains and partially investigated archaeological contexts. More particularly, this study contributes to a nuanced understanding of early medieval societal dynamics in northeastern Italy by reconstructing the bioarchaeological profiles of three individuals, who lived on the fringes of the early medieval landscape of Friuli during a period of deep economic and societal changes and whose stories were forgotten to history.