The Islamic cemetery at 33 Bartomeu Vicent Ramon, Ibiza: investigating diet and mobility through light stable isotopes i
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ORIGINAL PAPER
The Islamic cemetery at 33 Bartomeu Vicent Ramon, Ibiza: investigating diet and mobility through light stable isotopes in bone collagen and tooth enamel George Dury 1 & Andrew Lythe 1 & Nicholas Marquez-Grant 2 & Almudena Garcia-Rubio 3 & Glenda Graziani 4 & Juanjo Mari 5 & Maggie Ziriax 1 & Rick Schulting 1 Received: 16 December 2017 / Accepted: 16 April 2018 # The Author(s) 2018
Abstract The Balearic Islands occupy a central space in the western Mediterranean, at the maritime crossroads between North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of southwestern Europe. As such, it is well placed to investigate changes in subsistence practices associated with the major cultural transitions following the arrival of Islamic rule. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis was carried out on bone collagen from the Islamic cemetery (ca. AD 950–1150) population excavated at 33 Bartomeu Vicent Ramon, Ibiza, including human (n = 42) and faunal remains (n = 3). Stable oxygen and carbon isotope analysis was also undertaken on human tooth enamel carbonate (n = 6), and six humans were directly radiocarbon dated, confirming the presence of two distinct burial phases. The collagen results emphasise a C3-based diet, with variable but generally minor contributions from marine and/or C4 foods. However, the enamel carbonate results indicate a far greater importance of C4 crops than suggested by the collagen results, contributing up to 40% of energy intake. In keeping with previous studies of the region and period, the dietary contribution of marine protein is probably limited. A small number of outliers in both collagen and carbonate isotope results are identified, suggesting the presence of individuals originating elsewhere. The results are compared with those from previous investigations on the Balearics and the Spanish mainland, highlighting the complexity of factors—both cultural and methodological—affecting inter-regional dietary investigation. Keywords Islamic Ibiza . Diet . Mobility . Stable isotope analysis . Radiocarbon dating
Introduction Located off the eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands provide a window onto a host of political, cultural, social and economic changes taking place in * Rick Schulting [email protected] 1
School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Road, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK
2
Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University, Defense Academy of the United Kingdom, SN6 8LA Shrivenham, UK
3
Department of Physical Anthropology, Aranzadi Society of Sciences, 20014 Donostia, Basque Country, Spain
4
Departament de Ciències de l’Antiguitat i de l’Edat Mitjana, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
5
Ca na Reala, Camí des Racó 4356, 07830 Sant Josep de Sa Talaia, Ibiza, Spain
medieval southwest Europe, primarily as a result of the shifting dominance of Islamic and Christian social, political, and cultural influences. Islamic influence on the Balearics began in the seventh century AD, but was greatly intensified when
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