Talks by Sarah Defant
Archäologische und epigraphische Forschungen in Lykien Workshop
Papers by Sarah Defant
Scientific Reports, 2025
This study investigates human diet and mobility to understand the socioeconomic organisation of a... more This study investigates human diet and mobility to understand the socioeconomic organisation of a Late Roman community in Liguria, a transitional region between Italy and Gaul, during the 3rd-5th century CE. By combining archaeological, historical, osteological, and isotopic data with novel Bayesian modelling of multi-isotope data (collagen δ 13 C, δ 15 N, bioapatite 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) from human and animal skeletal remains, as well as modern plant samples, we provide new insights into this hitherto under-researched region. Our findings suggest the community followed a C 3-based diet, heavily reliant on plant resources and carbohydrates, supplemented by animal protein, likely from omnivorous pigs. This characteristically Roman diet contrasts with ancient written sources that claimed Ligurians had a "barbarian" diet and lifestyle. We also identified significant sex-based dietary differences, with men consuming more animal-derived protein than women, reflecting traditional Graeco-Roman societal ideals. Although the overall dietary pattern aligns with Roman norms, there is no isotopic evidence of long-distance migration or consumption of significant amounts of imported food. This indicates that the community may have been more localist, prioritising locally available resources over long-distance imports, which is unexpected given the prevalent idea of a large-scale interconnected food network within the Roman Empire.
PNAS - Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2024
Elites played a pivotal role in the formation of post-Roman
Europe on both macro-
and
microlevels... more Elites played a pivotal role in the formation of post-Roman
Europe on both macro-
and
microlevels during the Early Medieval period. History and archaeology have long
focused on their description and identification based on written sources or through their
archaeological record. We provide a different perspective on this topic by integrating
paleogenomic, archaeological, and isotopic data to gain insights into the role of one such
elite group in a Langobard period community near Collegno, Italy dated to the 6-8th
centuries CE. Our analysis of 28 newly sequenced genomes together with 24 previously
published ones combined with isotope (Sr, C, N) measurements revealed that this community
was established by and organized around a network of biologically and socially
related individuals likely composed of multiple elite families that over time developed
into a single extended pedigree. The community also included individuals with diverse
genetic ancestries, maintaining its diversity by integrating newcomers and groups in later
stages of its existence. This study highlights how shifts in political power and migration
impacted the formation and development of a small rural community within a key
region of the former Western Roman Empire after its dissolution and the emergence of
a new kingdom. Furthermore, it suggests that Early Medieval elites had the capacity to
incorporate individuals from varied backgrounds and that these elites were the result of
(political) agency rather than belonging to biologically homogeneous groups.
PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America), 2024
Elites played a pivotal role in the formation of post-Roman Europe on both macro-and microlevels ... more Elites played a pivotal role in the formation of post-Roman Europe on both macro-and microlevels during the Early Medieval period. Our approach combines history and archaeology with paleogenomic and isotopic data to explore the role of elite groups in the development of a 6 to 8th-century community at Collegno, Italy. Analyzing 28 new genomes with 24 previous ones revealed that the site was formed around biologically and socially connected high-ranking groups. The community also integrated newcomers and embraced individuals with diverse genetic ancestries. This study highlights how power shifts and migration after the fall of the Roman Empire influenced community formation in the rural areas in one of the core territories of the former Western Roman Empire.
Wissenschaftlicher Jahresbericht des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts, 2018
Die Grabungen in der Weststadt Limyra, bei denen der Sektor des Jahres 2016 erweitert und ein wei... more Die Grabungen in der Weststadt Limyra, bei denen der Sektor des Jahres 2016 erweitert und ein weiteres Areal zwischen den Grabungen am Westtor 2011/2012 und Polis West 2016 geöffnet wurden, fanden zwischen dem 14. August und dem 6. Oktober statt.
Journal Articles by Sarah Defant
Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut Jahresbericht | Austrian Archaeological Institute Annual Report, 2023
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Talks by Sarah Defant
Papers by Sarah Defant
Europe on both macro-
and
microlevels during the Early Medieval period. History and archaeology have long
focused on their description and identification based on written sources or through their
archaeological record. We provide a different perspective on this topic by integrating
paleogenomic, archaeological, and isotopic data to gain insights into the role of one such
elite group in a Langobard period community near Collegno, Italy dated to the 6-8th
centuries CE. Our analysis of 28 newly sequenced genomes together with 24 previously
published ones combined with isotope (Sr, C, N) measurements revealed that this community
was established by and organized around a network of biologically and socially
related individuals likely composed of multiple elite families that over time developed
into a single extended pedigree. The community also included individuals with diverse
genetic ancestries, maintaining its diversity by integrating newcomers and groups in later
stages of its existence. This study highlights how shifts in political power and migration
impacted the formation and development of a small rural community within a key
region of the former Western Roman Empire after its dissolution and the emergence of
a new kingdom. Furthermore, it suggests that Early Medieval elites had the capacity to
incorporate individuals from varied backgrounds and that these elites were the result of
(political) agency rather than belonging to biologically homogeneous groups.
Journal Articles by Sarah Defant