Session: #92

Regular session

Stable isotope analyses of skeletal material (bones and teeth) have been an integral component of Western European and North American bioarchaeology for decades, but Central and Eastern Europe are somewhat underrepresented in this sense. It is only within the last ten or so years that isotope analyses have been used to understand the diets, lifestyles, and mobility of past populations in these parts of Europe.

As such, our aims for this session are threefold. Our primary goal is to highlight the stable isotope research performed on prehistoric and historic skeletal material from Central and Eastern Europe, potentially including samples from Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, etc. We invite all types of isotope studies (e.g., C, N, O, Sr, etc.), ranging from diet and nursing/weaning to paleopathology and mobility. All time periods are welcome, as we are looking for temporally broad discussions to better understand the changes in diet, lifestyle, and mobility across Central and Eastern Europe over time. Second, we are interested in the potential research questions that are unique to these two regions. Insights may be gained about the role of culture in the dietary practices of neighboring Central/Eastern European countries; the impact of a population’s shared history on the diet or lifestyle of its members; the applicability of cross-country comparisons in diet and/or mobility studies; and more. From an archaeological, anthropological, or cultural perspective, are there any differences in the stable isotope results within and between these two regions? A final aim for this session is to establish a community of researchers working in Central and Eastern Europe, with the potential for future collaboration.

stable isotope, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, bioarchaeology, diet, mobility

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Ariana Gugora (Hungary) ¹

Enikő Somogyvári-Lajtár (Hungary) ^2,1
Mario Novak (Croatia) ³