Isotopic investigation of human provenience at the eleventh century cemetery of Ndr. Grødbygård, Bornholm, Denmark
Author
Summary, in English
Bornholm is a Danish island almost in the center of the southern Baltic Sea. The strategic location of the island, its rich
archeology, and its complex geology make it an intriguing location for the isotopic study of past human mobility. The focus
of this study is on the large cemetery of Ndr. Grødbygård in the southern part of the island, which dates to the eleventh
century AD and contains 553 individuals in 516 graves. The majority of the burials were in a supine position oriented west–
east, with the heads to the west, following the tradition of that time. In contrast to the Christian traditions, however, the
graves at Grødbygård were richly equipped by Scandinavian standards and some of the burial practices more closely
resembled those from the Western Slavic region of the south (present day northeastern Germany and Poland). We have used
isotopic analyses to examine the external relations and potential places of origin of the inhabitants of the cemetery.
Strontium and oxygen isotope ratios in human tooth enamel provide a signature of place of origin and can be compared
to the ratios of the place of burial to determine local or non-local origins. In the case of Bornholm, the local geology is quite
complex, with a variety of rocks of different age and composition, resulting in a wide range of strontium isotope sources on
the island, complicating the issue of identifying migrants. At the same time, Grødbygård provides an important example of
the application of such methods in less than ideal conditions.
archeology, and its complex geology make it an intriguing location for the isotopic study of past human mobility. The focus
of this study is on the large cemetery of Ndr. Grødbygård in the southern part of the island, which dates to the eleventh
century AD and contains 553 individuals in 516 graves. The majority of the burials were in a supine position oriented west–
east, with the heads to the west, following the tradition of that time. In contrast to the Christian traditions, however, the
graves at Grødbygård were richly equipped by Scandinavian standards and some of the burial practices more closely
resembled those from the Western Slavic region of the south (present day northeastern Germany and Poland). We have used
isotopic analyses to examine the external relations and potential places of origin of the inhabitants of the cemetery.
Strontium and oxygen isotope ratios in human tooth enamel provide a signature of place of origin and can be compared
to the ratios of the place of burial to determine local or non-local origins. In the case of Bornholm, the local geology is quite
complex, with a variety of rocks of different age and composition, resulting in a wide range of strontium isotope sources on
the island, complicating the issue of identifying migrants. At the same time, Grødbygård provides an important example of
the application of such methods in less than ideal conditions.
Department/s
Publishing year
2013
Language
English
Pages
93-112
Publication/Series
Danish Journal of Archaeology
Volume
1
Issue
2
Full text
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Topic
- Archaeology
Keywords
- strontium isotopes
- oxygen isotopes
- carbon isotopes
- migration
- archeology
- Baltic Sea
- bioavailable
- bioarcheology
- human remains
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 2166-2282