Tracing the path: First attempt of a multi-isotope approach to animal management in the Late Roman city of Torreparedones (Baena, Spain)

Abstract

During the 3rd century CE, the city of Torreparedones, in the province of Baetica, experienced a change in its social, urban and economic paradigm. To understand the complexity of the husbandry activities in the southern region of Roman Hispania during this period of change, a multi-isotope analysis has been undertaken. This analysis has included ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁸O and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in 15 animals combining bone collagen and tooth enamel samples. Four plant samples were also taken for the characterization of the local bioavailable Sr. The results suggest a great variety of management regimes in the four main taxa used in the site. Differences have been detected in the feeding of animals from the same species not only in the kind of graze consumed but also in seasonal access to food and water. The analysis of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr has allowed local Sr bioavailability to be established and also to determine the likely local origins of 9 of the 15 animals. The use of predictive models suggests potential origins of some animals up to hundreds of kilometres away, pointing to wide-ranging trade routes worthy of exploration in future research.