"Celts" down the Alps. New multi-isotopic data on territorial mobility in pre-Roman Verona (Seminario Vescovile, NE Italy, 3rd -1st c. BCE)

During the Late Iron Age (4th - 1st c. BCE), continental Europe witnessed dense trade networks and significant population movements. The migration of transalpine human groups to the Italian peninsula is a testament to the dynamism of this era. This study, building on preliminary isotopic data (δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O) from a subset of individuals (n=49) in the Seminario Vescovile (SV-Verona, Italy, 3rd - 1st c. BCE), extends these previous analyses. It now includes a larger sample (n=127, encompassing approximately 70% of the buried individuals) and incorporates additional isotopic ratios. This expanded research aims to provide a more robust assessment of territorial mobility and investigate potential connections within this community between geographical origin, sex, and burial practices. To achieve these goals, we examined isotopic ratios of sulfur (δ34S; n=127 - 61 adults and 66 nonadults) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr; n=57 - 51 adults and 6 nonadults) from bone collagen and dental enamel, respectively. We utilized the standard deviation from the isotopic mean of archaeological faunal remains and modern plants as proxies for locally available δ34S and 87Sr/86Sr values, identifying individuals falling outside these ranges. Additionally, we conducted Mann-Whitney tests to explore variances in δ34S and 87Sr/86Sr concerning sex and burial features. Our analysis revealed that human δ34S and 87Sr/86Sr ratios averaged 5.7±1.7‰ VCDT and 0.709756±0.001430, respectively. Minimum estimates of non-local individuals range from 3 (2.5%) based on sulfur to 11 (19.3%) based on strontium. Notably, at least five cases displayed isotopic values suggestive of an alpine or transalpine origin. Interestingly, our isotopic data did not indicate any discernible associations with individual sex or funerary treatment. These findings prompt a reassessment of prior estimations of mobility in the Seminario Vescovile population and strongly suggest a connection between this human group and both alpine and transalpine regions.