Migration Period in Central Europe: New Multi-Isotopic Evidence from Tyniec upon Sleza Cemetery (4th–5th Century AD, SW Poland)

Abstract

The Migration Period (4th–5th centuries AD) in Central Europe was marked by profound demographic and cultural transformations. Nevertheless, bioarchaeological data from this period remain scarce across the region. Tyniec upon Sleza constitutes the only newly excavated Migration Period cemetery in southern Poland, providing a rare opportunity to explore lifeways during this transformative epoch. Stable carbon (d¹³C) and nitrogen (d¹5N) isotope analyses were conducted on samples from ten individuals to reconstruct dietary patterns, while mobility was investigated through high-resolution strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) measurements of dental enamel from selected individuals, yielding a total of twenty determinations. A local environmental baseline was established, encompassing the principal prehistoric settlement zones surrounding Wroclaw. To complement the isotopic dataset, trace element concentrations from dental enamel were examined to aid dietary reconstructions and assess potential diagenetic alterations. The findings highlight the interpretative challenges posed by the highly dynamic demographic landscape of the Migration Period, in which the absence of stable local populations complicates the identification of non-local individuals. Nevertheless, the results reveal pronounced dietary variability, including substantial consumption of aquatic resources, and complex mobility signatures, reflecting diverse geographic origins and life histories. Our paper provides new insights into the processes of cultural hybridization among Germanic populations inhabiting Silesia during this turbulent era. It further explores their adaptive strategies and cultural responses to interactions-both direct and indirect-with nomadic groups and the broader geopolitical transformations precipitated by the disintegration of the Roman Empire.