I reperti scheletrici della necropoli di età romana di San Lorenzo di Sebato-Pichlwiese: caratterizzazione chimica e studio paleonutrizionale

The skeletal remains from the Roman cemetery at St Lorenzen-Pichlwiese: chemical characterization and study of ancient diet. The human and animal skeletal remains from the Roman cemetery of St Lorenzen have been chemically defined by identifying the major elements (Ca and P) and some trace elements useful with regard to the profile (Ba, Sr, Zn and Pb). The analysis, after the appropriate pre-treatment of the samples, was carried out using plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) on a total sample from the site of 13 human bones and 4 from domestic animals. The results of the analysis seem to emphasize the unfavourable state of preservation of the finds (with a high level of Ca/P recorded), but with some characteristics that, in line with data from the literature, can be used as a clue to interpreting the ancient diet. From this perspective, for the people of Sebatum it seems that we can exclude the possibility of a diet based mainly on plant sources, without, however, being able to provide any further information on the amount of animal products brought into the diet. Nevertheless, a diet based on resources from the land and not the sea is fully confirmed. The bone gave such low results for Pb that significant exposure to this metal and the resulting pathological conditions can be excluded.