Dataset Information

Multi-isotope variation reveals social complexity in Viking Age Norway.

ABSTRACT: Multi-isotope studies from human remains from Viking Age graves throughout Norway allow for a deeper understanding of mobility, livelihood, and social organization during the Viking Age (750-1050 CE). Based on a framework of radiocarbon dates (¹⁴C), the studied inhumation graves are distributed across a broad chronological and geographical scope, covering the Late Iron and Viking Age (c. 500-1050 CE). Results of multi-isotope analyses (δ¹⁸O/δ¹³C/δ¹⁵N) in tandem with a cultural historical approach question the hegemonic masculinity associated with the "violent Vikings" and the apparent preconception of stationary women and mobile males in Viking Age Norway, thus challenging conjectural behavioral distinctions between women, men, and children. The analysis points towards diversity following a north-south gradient in terms of dietary preferences (δ¹³C/δ¹⁵N), which demonstrates a higher degree of marine consumption in northern Norway, as opposed to the southern regions; similar patterns are also observed through the mobility study (δ¹⁸O), which uncovers high levels of migration in the study population.

SUBMITTER: Strand LM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9579023 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Multi-isotope variation reveals social complexity in Viking Age Norway.

Strand Lisa Mariann LM Leggett Sam S Skar Birgitte B

iScience 20220929 10

Multi-isotope studies from human remains from Viking Age graves throughout Norway allow for a deeper understanding of mobility, livelihood, and social organization during the Viking Age (750-1050 CE). Based on a framework of radiocarbon dates (14C), the studied inhumation graves are distributed across a broad chronological and geographical scope, covering the Late Iron and Viking Age (c. 500-1050 CE). Results of multi-isotope analyses (δ18O/δ13C/δ15N) ...[more]

PMID: 36274953

Similar Datasets

Project description:IntroductionComputed tomography (CT) images can provide information about anatomical structures and pathological processes in ancient skulls. A previous study on the teeth and jaws of 171 individuals in a late Swedish Viking age population, dating around the 10th-12th century made clinical examinations that included intraoral radiographs. Current explorative study examined a subset of this population using CT with the aim to investigate if this method could provide additional information about the studied subjects.Materials and methodThe skulls of 15 Viking-era individuals were examined with CT. Two specialists in oral and maxillofacial radiology and one general dentist examined the images together, performing the diagnostics and interpretated the results.ResultsFindings included signs of pathological conditions of the teeth; of the alveolar, mandibular, maxillary and auricular bone; and of the paranasal sinuses and temporomandibular joints. These findings indicated the presence of both clinically detectable conditions, such as dental caries, periodontal disease, periapical destructions and remodelling of the caput mandibulae, but also additional findings such as sclerotization of the mastoid process, infection-induced periosteal bone deposition, and signs of sinusitis.ConclusionCT investigation of skeletal remains from an early Christian community in the Viking era in Sweden indicated that the population suffered from numerous orofacial pathologies, including dental disease, sinusitis, otitis, and various infections. The current study, using CT as an investigation method of skeletal remains, indicated that this method could identify conditions that might be difficult to find through ocular inspection. Conclusively, CT is suggested to be an important non-invasive method when used in combination with other examination methods, possibly providing additional information about archeological human remains. Further studies on similar samples are suggested to examine this further.

Project description:BackgroundAn individual's microbiome changes over the course of its lifetime, especially during infancy, and again in old age. Confounding factors such as diet and healthcare make it difficult to disentangle the interactions between age, health, and microbial changes in humans. Animal models present an excellent opportunity to study age- and sex-linked variation in the microbiome, but captivity is known to influence animal microbial abundance and composition, while studies of free-ranging animals are typically limited to studies of the fecal microbiome using samples collected non-invasively. Here, we analyze a large dataset of oral, rectal, and genital swabs collected from 105 free-ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta, aged 1 month-26 years), comprising one entire social group, from the island of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. We sequenced 16S V4 rRNA amplicons for all samples.ResultsInfant gut microbial communities had significantly higher relative abundances of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides and lower abundances of Ruminococcus, Fibrobacter, and Treponema compared to older age groups, consistent with a diet high in milk rather than solid foods. The genital microbiome varied widely between males and females in beta-diversity, taxonomic composition, and predicted functional profiles. Interestingly, only penile, but not vaginal, microbiomes exhibited distinct age-related changes in microbial beta-diversity, taxonomic composition, and predicted functions. Oral microbiome composition was associated with age, and was most distinctive between infants and other age classes.ConclusionsAcross all three body regions, with notable exceptions in the penile microbiome, while infants were distinctly different from other age groups, microbiomes of adults were relatively invariant, even in advanced age. While vaginal microbiomes were exceptionally stable, penile microbiomes were quite variable, especially at the onset of reproductive age. Relative invariance among adults, including elderly individuals, is contrary to findings in humans and mice. We discuss potential explanations for this observation, including that age-related microbiome variation seen in humans may be related to changes in diet and lifestyle. Video abstract.

Dataset Information

Multi-isotope variation reveals social complexity in Viking Age Norway.

Publications

Multi-isotope variation reveals social complexity in Viking Age Norway.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets