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. 2022 Aug 10;17(8):e0272144.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272144. eCollection 2022.

Finding Mycenaeans in Minoan Crete? Isotope and DNA analysis of human mobility in Bronze Age Crete

Michael Richards  1   2 , Colin Smith  2   3   4 , Olaf Nehlich  2 , Vaughan Grimes  2   5   6 , Darlene Weston  7 , Alissa Mittnik  8   9   10 , Johannes Krause  11 , Keith Dobney  12 , Yannis Tzedakis  13 , Holley Martlew  14
Affiliations

Finding Mycenaeans in Minoan Crete? Isotope and DNA analysis of human mobility in Bronze Age Crete

Michael Richards et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

We undertook a large-scale study of Neolithic and Bronze Age human mobility on Crete using biomolecular methods (isotope analysis, DNA), with a particular focus on sites dating to the Late Bronze Age ('Late Minoan') period. We measured the strontium and sulphur isotope values of animal remains from archaeological sites around the island of Crete to determine the local baseline values. We then measured the strontium and sulphur values of humans from Late Neolithic and Bronze Age sites. Our results indicate that most of the humans have sulphur and strontium isotope values consistent with being local to Crete, showing no evidence for a wide-scale movement of people from the Greek mainland or other areas away from Crete in these time periods. However, we found four individuals from the late Bronze Age (Late Minoan III) cemetery of Armenoi with sulphur isotope values not typically found in Crete and are instead consistent with an origin elsewhere. This cemetery at Armenoi also has one of only a few examples of the newly adopted Mycenaean Linear B script on Crete found outside of the palace sites, pointing to an influence (trade and possible migration) from the mainland, which may then be the place of origin of these four individuals. DNA (mtDNA) studies of eight Late Bronze Age individuals from Armenoi have results consistent with people living in Aegean region at this time and cannot be used to distinguish between individuals from Crete ('Minoans') and the Greek mainland ['Mycenaeans']).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Map of the approximate locations of the study sites in Crete plotted on a simplified geological map (modified after [20]).
(1) Agios Charalambos, (2) Apodoulou, (3) Armenoi, (4) Chamalevri, (5) Chania, (6) Gerani, (7) Kastelli, (8) Maroulas, (9) Melidoni, (10) Mochlos, (11) Nerokourou, (12) Palaikastro, (13) Perama Margaritas, (14) Platyvola, (15) Pseira, (16) Vrysinas, (17) Zoniana.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Strontium isotope values of faunal enamel samples from the archaeological study sites in Crete.
Also shown is a line indicating the marine strontium isotope value of 0.7092.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Sulphur isotope values of faunal bone collagen from archaeological study sites in Crete.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Human strontium isotope values from the archaeological study sites.
Also shown is a line indicating the marine strontium value of 0.7092.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Human bone collagen sulphur isotope values from four study sites.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Cline EH. The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean: Oxford University Press; 2010.
    1. Perlès C. Early Neolithic Greece: Cambridge University Press Cambridge; 2001.
    1. Broodbank C, Strasser TF. Migrant farmers and the Neolithic colonization of Crete. Antiquity. 1991;65(247):233–45.

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