Tracing the dynamic life story of a bronze age female

K. Margarita Frei; U. Mannering; K. Kristiansen; M.E. Allentoft; A.S. Wilson; I. Skals; S. Tridico; M. Louise Nosch; E. Willerslev; L. Clarke; R. Frei

doi:10.1038/srep10431

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Tracing the dynamic life story of a bronze age female

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Tracing the dynamic life story of a bronze age female

K. Margarita Frei, U. Mannering, K. Kristiansen, M.E. Allentoft, A.S. Wilson, I. Skals, S. Tridico, M. Louise Nosch, E. Willerslev, L. Clarke, …

Scientific Reports, Vol.5

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep10431

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Abstract

Ancient human mobility at the individual level is conventionally studied by the diverse application of suitable techniques (e.g. aDNA, radiogenic strontium isotopes, as well as oxygen and lead isotopes) to either hard and/or soft tissues. However, the limited preservation of coexisting hard and soft human tissues hampers the possibilities of investigating high-resolution diachronic mobility periods in the life of a single individual. Here, we present the results of a multidisciplinary study of an exceptionally well preserved circa 3.400-year old Danish Bronze Age female find, known as the Egtved Girl. We applied biomolecular, biochemical and geochemical analyses to reconstruct her mobility and diet. We demonstrate that she originated from a place outside present day Denmark (the island of Bornholm excluded), and that she travelled back and forth over large distances during the final months of her life, while consuming a terrestrial diet with intervals of reduced protein intake. We also provide evidence that all her garments were made of non-locally produced wool. Our study advocates the huge potential of combining biomolecular and biogeochemical provenance tracer analyses to hard and soft tissues of a single ancient individual for the reconstruction of high-resolution human mobility.

Details

Title: Tracing the dynamic life story of a bronze age female
Authors/Creators: K. Margarita Frei (Author/Creator)
U. Mannering (Author/Creator) - Danish National Research Foundation
K. Kristiansen (Author/Creator) - University of Gothenburg
M.E. Allentoft (Author/Creator) - Centre for GeoGenetics; Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
A.S. Wilson (Author/Creator) - University of Bradford
I. Skals (Author/Creator) - National Museum of Denmark
S. Tridico (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
M. Louise Nosch (Author/Creator)
E. Willerslev (Author/Creator) - Centre for GeoGenetics; Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
L. Clarke (Author/Creator) - Faculty (United Kingdom)
R. Frei (Author/Creator) - University of Copenhagen
Publication Details: Scientific Reports, Vol.5
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Identifiers: 991005542708807891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 8 Earth Sciences; 8.93 Archaeology; 8.93.1193 Stable Isotopes
Web Of Science research areas: Anthropology
ESI research areas: Social Sciences, general