Diet reveals what life was like 2,700 years ago in an Italian community: Gender inequality, social status and migration
An international study of the Picene culture in ancient Italy used isotopic analysis to reveal details about diet, social status, and migration 2,700 years ago. The findings indicate clear gender-based dietary differences and evidence of population mobility.
Why it matters
Bioarchaeological research provides deeper insights into the social structures and daily lives of pre-Roman civilizations, highlighting long-standing patterns of inequality.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Zita Laffranchi. Credit: Zita Laffranchi An international study led by the Universities of Córdoba and Pisa used isotopic analysis to reconstruct the dietary traces left in human remains found in an Italian necropolis, revealing what daily life was like in that community 2,700 years ago. Despite the passage of time, certain patterns of behavior recur: diet, human mobility, gender differences and the role of funerary symbolism in signifying social status.
The study focused on the Novilara necropolis, one of the largest burial grounds of the Picene culture (a pre-Roman culture in central Italy that was contemporaneous with the Tartessian societies on the Iberian Peninsula, among others), and combined bioarchaeological and multi-isotopic analyses.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in