Island subsistence during the Late Bronze and Iron Age in Menorca: insights from stable isotopes and Bayesian mixing models at the Biniadrís Cave (Spain)

• Sequential δ 13 C and δ 18 O analyses of dental enamel provided evidence of cattle feeding habits from Mas Castellar de Pontós. • Data confirm the integration of C 4 plants into the cattle diet during the warmer months. • Two possible options are proposed: the consumption of cultivated cereals or of wild plants from the coast and salt marshes. • Cattle, as well as sheep, had access to a diversified range of plant resources during the year. • The results suggest the adoption of a deliberate and adaptive seasonal livestock feeding strategy. This study investigates cattle feeding strategies at the Late Iron Age rural establishment of Mas Castellar de Pontós (Empordà plain, northeastern Iberian Peninsula), a key agricultural and commercial centre linked to the coastal Greek colonies of Emporion and Rhode. Previous isotopic data from bulk collagen analyses of bones (Messana et al. 2025) suggested a potential introduction of C 4 plants into the cattle diet; however, the temporal dimensions of this practice remained unclear. To address this gap, sequential analyses of δ 13 C and δ 18 O values were performed on dental enamel from seven lower molars belonging to five cattle, allowing a seasonal resolution of their feeding habits. The results confirm the seasonal integration of C 4 plants into the cattle diet during the warmer months, complementing a basal C 3 plant consumption during the year. Considering the landscape surrounding the settlement and the agricultural activity, two options are proposed regarding the nature of the C 4 plants consumed: cultivated cereals such as millet or wild plants growing along the coast and in salt marshes. The isotopic data currently available do not allow a discernment between the two hypotheses, resulting in a scenario of so-called equifinality. This pattern reflects a deliberate and seasonally adaptive feeding strategy, comparable to that observed in sheep from the same settlement. This evidence suggest that cattle, as has been documented for sheep, had access to a diversified range of plant resources during the year. These livestock feeding habits may have been adopted by herders to maximise the availability of pasture and/or fodder.

Hidden in the mound – Exploring the stratigraphy and paleoenvironmental context of an Early Iron Age burial mound (Süttő, Hungary) by semi-destructive pedological and botanical approaches

First confirmed finds of baleen whale from Iron Age Scania, Sweden, and their archaeological implications

ABSTRACT In this paper we present a small assemblage recovered in the older part of the city of Coimbra (Portugal), under the National Museum Machado de Castro, where human occupation was identified since the Iron Age. Animal remains were present from the Roman until the modern period. The study of discarded food refuse over time provides a perspective into the evolution of local animal use and management. Sheep and goat were the most exploited species throughout; cattle, the second most represented group, gain increasing importance in later periods, especially the modern one. Malacological finds indicate mainly the presence of estuarine species, suggesting the consistent use of this nearby ecotone in the various periods of occupation. Birds were also part of the assemblage, including galliformes, anatids and a few wild species. Some samples from later modern contexts seem to show the exploitation of marine resources, although most of the remains come from mammals. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of medieval faunal remains reveal dietary variability among domestic species, reflecting diverse animal management practices, especially for chickens. Overall, this work contributes novel insights into diet and human-animal relationships in Coimbra down the centuries.

Cemeteries are a primary source of evidence for the late prehistoric and early historical periods in Sicily. An abundance of tomb goods is available for study from modern republications of ‘legacy data’, especially for the southeast of the island, which was a focal point of Greek colonization in the central Mediterranean. This area also contains an unusual concentration of Final Bronze and Iron Age sites, which permits an extended view of indigenous cultural development over six centuries or more. Adopting an empirical approach, the article compares dress items, tools, weapons and pottery from four key sites—Pantalica, Cassibile, Monte Finocchito and Monte Casasia—which were major centres of indigenous population at various times between ca. 1200 and ca. 550 BC. Several trends and patterns are identified that enhance our understanding of continuity and change, interaction and ritual practices in relation to cultural identity over a period that also encompassed Greek and Phoenician colonization. Comparisons between burials at Finocchito, Syracuse and mainland Greece from the eighth and seventh centuries BC highlight bilateral and asymmetrical aspects of cultural interaction between indigenous people and Greek settlers in Sicily.

The article presents the results of a comprehensive study of dental and maxillofacial pathologies in the population of the North Caucasus who lived from the Early Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages (10th century BC to 9th century AD). The research material was derived from paleoanthropological collections of the Zayukovo-3 burial site (Kabardino-Balkaria Republic). The burials of the studied individuals belong to the Western Koban culture (7th – 5th centuries BC), the Sarmatian period (Podkumok-Khumara cultural group, 1st – 3rd centuries AD), and the Alanian era (5th – 7th centuries AD). In this study, an adapted version of M. Schultz’s methodology was used to analyze the frequencies of caries, apical periodontitis, enamel hypoplasia, dental calculus, antemortem enamel chipping, and the degree of dental wear. Significant differences were found in the dental and maxillofacial conditions among representatives of different archaeological cultures. Individuals associated with the Koban culture exhibited pronounced dental wear and a low prevalence of caries, suggesting a balanced diet dominated by meat and dairy products. During the Sarmatian period, an increase in caries and dental calculus was observed, which may be linked to dietary changes, possibly involving greater consumption of high-carbohydrate foods. The Alanic period was characterized by severe dental wear, an increased frequency of enamel hypoplasia, and traumatic dental injuries, indicating a decline in living conditions and overall population health.

Eyes to the East: Round Watchtowers Overlooking the Roads Leading from the Jordan Valley to the Kingdom of Israel in Iron Age II

ABSTRACT Inhumation burials are a rare phenomenon in Central Europe in the pre‐Roman and Roman Iron Age when cremation predominates. This raises questions about the origin of the practice and the identity of those persons treated differently from the rest of the population, including their possible status as migrants. This study analyzes the enamel from a noncremated adult male individual from Czelin, together with cremated long bone fragments from six urn graves recovered from the same cemetery, using strontium isotopes to test the hypothesis of a possible nonlocal origin. Czelin is a cemetery associated with the Lubuska Group dating to the pre‐Roman and Roman Iron Age, located on the Oder River, a potential route for long‐distance travel. Results show a difference between the ratios obtained for the enamel (0.7125) and the cremated bones (0.7106–0.7117), highlighting the difference between the childhood of the inhumed individual and the adulthood of the cremated ones. The latter fall within the range of bioavailable strontium for the vicinity of the site (0.7099–0.7122). However, the great variability of Sr isotope ratios in the wider region (0.7098–0.7165) means that the possibility that the inhumed individual was local cannot be excluded. Isotopic analyses provide insights into potential migration patterns, but the limited number of samples and regional isotopic variability complicate interpretations. The presence of inhumation practices in Jutland, Bornholm, and Silesia suggests a broader eschatological shift. However, cultural interpretation is inherently challenging, as burial rituals often reflect distorted images of societal beliefs.

Highway 3: The Iron Age Pottery

ABSTRACT The rich decoration of Irish and British Iron Age metalwork once conveyed complex symbolic meanings, though its language has long since been lost. Ornamentation remains a vital avenue for interpreting the identities of both makers and users. While most Irish Iron Age artefacts adhere to the insular La Tène-derived style, a small yet significant group of objects diverges markedly in decorative character. These items, distributed across several centuries, suggest the persistence of an alternative, yet possibly connected, tradition. This paper proposes that this distinct style may reflect the material culture of a group who perceived themselves as culturally separate. Their divergent aesthetic choices may signal a long-lived identity expressed through decoration and may have influenced the later development of Pictish art in northern Britain. Through close analysis of these underexplored objects, this study contributes to broader discussions of cultural plurality, identity construction and artistic exchange in Iron Age Ireland, Britain and Europe and the role of decorative traditions in shaping and reflecting social difference.

Abstract There has been much discussion of various lines of evidence—genetic, bioarchaeological, and cultural–phylogenetic—that indicate patrilineal and patrilocal kinship systems predominated in Neolithic to Bronze Age Europe. These patterns were unique to this time and place, however, and evidence from prior periods and from other regions outside of Europe suggest a broader diversity in kinship systems that was replaced over time. Moreover, practices such as cousin marriage might have emerged in distinct regions, influenced by subsistence strategies and particular lifeways. In considering this diversity, we propose that the patrilineal/patrilocal developments observed in Europe during the Neolithic and Bronze Age were a distinctive prehistoric process among livestock herders and agriculturalists who dispersed into this region. Patrilineal kinship spread with these dispersals, as it now appears that matriliny was practised at Neolithic Çatalhöyük and in Iron Age Britain, for example. In this context, we can argue for different kinship systems in continental Europe before, during and after the Neolithic.

Very little is known about the origins and history of domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in northern Europe due to a lack of existing documentary and ancient DNA evidence from this region. Therefore, we conducted ancient DNA analyses and radiocarbon dating of archaeological chicken bones from the Baltic Sea region (Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania). We sequenced a 201-bp long fragment of the mitochondrial control region as well as SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) from the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) gene and the β-carotene dioxygenase 2 (BCDO2) gene, comparing with modern Finnish and Estonian landrace chickens, as well as with other ancient and modern chickens. All studied ancient chickens belonged to a prevalent E1 mitochondrial haplogroup, except one individual from the Åland Islands (haplogroup B). Allele frequencies differed between ancient Baltic and Finnish chickens from Åland Islands in TSHR and BCDO2 genes, with Åland harbouring more individuals with grey skin. Interestingly, yellow-skinned chickens were more common in mainland Finland and Baltic countries during ancient times than in central and southern Europe. Mitochondrial haplogroup A was present in modern Finnish landrace chickens but not in ancient samples from the early Finnish Iron Age to the early modern period (3rd-18th century CE), indicating later introgression. Both Estonian and Finnish landrace chickens had a higher frequency of the TSHR wild-type allele than the modern reference samples. Based on our results, the ancient chickens from the Åland Islands differed from other ancient chickens from the Baltic Sea region, and the landrace chickens differ from other modern chickens.

ABSTRACT Stone funerary orbs with carved ornamentation, along with similarly decorated stones, but in the form of slabs, are a distinctive yet underexplored category of archaeological objects from Late Iron Age Sweden. These carved stones are originally found in burial contexts from the Migration Period (c. 400–550 CE) and at times early Vendel Period (c. 550–800 CE). In later centuries, they are known to have been removed from their original context, and re-used for other purposes. This paper discusses stone funerary orbs and slabs from the Mälar Valley, south Sweden, and sheds light on their different object itineraries throughout time. In doing so, it focusses on the making of their ornamentation, and its (desired) affects and effects, as well as the possible qualities that were associated with the stone itself (e.g. form, colour, descent) and how these aspects may have played pivotal roles in their removal from burial contexts to new ontological realms.

Pollen analysis was conducted on core materials that were deposited over the last 2000 cal years BP in Mkhuze wetland, KwaZulu-Natal. The objective was to reconstruct past vegetation and infer past changes in climate or possible human disturbances by enhancing both pollen and non-pollen proxy data in the summer rainfall region. Palynological results show a dominance of Poaceae (grasses >70%) that suggests a predominance of grassy vegetation in and around the swamp with some woodland and forest elements from the surroundings. Between 1700 and 1200 cal years BP, fungal spores, cryptogams, wetland plants, Podocarpus , and other forest pollen elements declined. Bushveld tree pollen of Spirostachys increased, indicating a decrease in moisture availability (humidity) and a change from forest to an open savanna vegetation. A peak of microscopic charcoal and Poaceae with a corresponding decrease in Spirostachys pollen around 800–500 cal years BP suggests an increase in wildfires under dry conditions that may have been caused by anthropogenic forest clearance for farming by the Iron Age people. The increase in microscopic charcoal, charred cuticles, a peak of Amaranthaceae pollen, and a corresponding decrease in trees and grasses in the last 280–200 cal years BP may be due to regional drought. The appearance of exotic Pinus pollen during the most recent period corresponds to the introduction of alien vegetation by European settlers. We compared changes in the pollen record of the Mkhuze freshwater swamp with a coeval section of a previously published longer pollen sequence in the nearby Lake St Lucia estuary to confirm if regional vegetation trends can also be observed in the section. Wider regional environmental trends were also assessed using other non-pollen proxies like isotopic data for comparison. Results align with δ 18 O, d 13 C and N 15 studies, although some, especially the latter, may not suggest parallel moisture conditions over the distances involved. This indicates that diverse environmental conditions prevailed in the region in the last c. 2000 years BP.

Shifting tin imports into the broader Eastern Mediterranean region during the Bronze and Early Iron Ages (ca. 2000-900 BC)

Nuragic figurines are rare and unique examples of the mastery achieved by Sardinian craftsmen in the early Iron Age. These bronze artefacts were most likely cast using the lost wax technique: the shapes were moulded with relative ease, and even complex figures could be represented. However, the manufacturing process was not always a single-step procedure: in some cases, the parts of the model were moulded separately and then assembled together. Therefore, the analytical study of Nuragic bronzes can help to understand the specific casting methods and to evaluate the techniques implemented by Sardinian craftsmen to produce such complex objects. In recent years, Time of Flight Neutron Diffraction (Tof-ND) and Neutron Imaging (NI) have proven to be among the most effective methods for non-invasive studies. Neutron diffraction and neutron imaging provide complementary quantitative and morphological information that can be the key to understanding the casting processes. In this work, the results of the analysis of a bronze figurine will be reported. The statuette represents a Nuragic warrior and was made available by the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Sassari e Nuoro (Sassari, Italy).

• The study presents the first isotopic study of a taula enclosure sanctuary in Menorca (Spain). • A multi-isotopic dental enamel analyses of 27 caprines from the Late Iron Age sanctuary of Binissafullet has been conducted. • Results suggest predominantly local grazing and a diet based on C 3 Mediterranean vegetation. • Strontium results reveal some animals grazed in more radiogenic areas, likely linked to the northern region of Menorca (so-called Tramuntana). • The results offer a basis to study animal management and livestock's cultural role of in taula sanctuaries. This study presents the first isotopic analysis of livestock from a taula sanctuary dating from the Second Iron Age (c. 550-123 BCE) in Menorca (Spain). These emblematic structures contain the remains of animals, evidence of wine consumption, and other artefacts. Consequently, these structures are interpreted as sanctuaries or places where social cohesion was reinforced. The archaeological record reveals a blend of local and extra-insular elements. The main objectives of this study were to determine where the livestock buried within the taula enclosure were sourced from and to gain insight into how these communities exploited the available resources. To this end, the strontium ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr), carbon (δ 13 C), and oxygen (δ 18 O) isotope ratios were analyzed in enamel samples taken from 27 domestic caprines found in the taula enclosure at Binissafullet site (Sant Lluís, Menorca). The results are mainly compatible with a livestock that grazed in the vicinity of the settlement and consumed C 3 type plants. This is consistent with the available palaeobotanical information, which shows a landscape characterized by Mediterranean vegetation with no C 4 plants present. Finally, some individuals are recorded as having grazed in more radiogenic areas, which were probably located in the northern part of Menorca (Tramuntana region, approximately 8 km from the settlement). This type of grazing has previously been documented in the Bronze Age on the island, and the results obtained here seem to suggest continuity in mobility-related livestock.

Subsistence change in Iron Age to Tubo-period western Xizang: A stable isotope study from Phiyang Dunkar

Corrigendum to ‘Distinguishing biogenic from geogenic anhydrites in ash: a case study of Iron Age Qumran’ [J. Archaeol. Sci. 186 (2026) 106477