Multi-isotope biographies and identities of victims of martial victory celebrations in Neolithic Europe

Abstract

Skeletons showing multiple instances of unhealed trauma and isolated skeletal segments of severed left upper limbs have been documented in the Neolithic sites of Achenheim and Bergheim (northeastern France, approximately 4300 to 4150 cal BCE), providing tantalizing evidence of war-related practices of overkill, mutilation, and/or trophy taking. Here, we conduct an innovative multi-isotope reconstruction of the biographies of the "victims" and other individuals from the region that were given normative funerary treatments (nonvictims). A total of 82 humans are analyzed, together with 53 animals and 35 modern plants to establish regional isotope baselines. Results show statistically significant isotopic differences between victims and nonvictims and suggest that the former were members of invading groups brutally killed, perhaps exposed and deposited in pits-together with trophies in the form of severed upper limbs-by local groups in what might be one of the earliest well-documented instances of martial victory celebrations in prehistoric Europe.

Fig. 1.. Overhead views of late Middle Neolithic violence-related human mass deposits of the Alsace region, France, analyzed in this study.

(A) Pit 157 from Bergheim Saulager (Photo credit: Fanny Chenal, INRAP) and (B) pit 124 from Achenheim Strasse 2, RD 45 (Photo credit: Philippe Lefranc, INRAP).

Fig. 2.. Location and chronocultural attribution of the archaeological sites selected for study.

Colors show attribution to main regional facies of the Alsatian late Middle Neolithic, which are displayed on the timeline on the bottom (after 14: Fig. 2). Legend: 1. Achenheim “Strasse 2, RD 45;” 2. Bergheim “Saulager;” 3. Eckbolsheim “Parc d’Activités;” 4. Entzheim “Sablière Oest;” 5. Entzheim “Les Terres de la Chapelle–Zone d’Activités;” 6. Geispolsheim “Schwobenfeld;” 7. Ittenheim “Complexe sportif;” 8. Kolbsheim “Vogeseblick;” 9. Matzenheim “Le Lavoir;” 10. Meistratzheim “Station d’épuration intercommunale;” 11. Ungersheim “Desserte Routière du Bioscope;” 12. Vendenheim “Griesklaus/Hasenacker/Les Portes du Kochersberg.” BORS, western Bischheim.

Fig. 3.. Boxplots of human bone collagen carbon isotope values (δ¹³C_bcol) of adolescents and adults from Bergheim Saulager and Achenheim Strasse 2, RD 45 sites.

Values are sorted in three categories: nonvictims, killed individuals represented by complete or almost complete skeletons, and individuals represented by isolated skeletal segments of severed left upper limbs. BER, Bergheim; ACH, Achenheim; VPDB, Vienna Pee Dee belemnite.

Fig. 4.. Boxplots of human bone collagen nitrogen isotope values (δ¹⁵N_bcol) of adolescents and adults from Bergheim Saulager and Achenheim Strasse 2, RD 45 sites.

BER, Bergheim; ACH, Achenheim.

Fig. 5.. Boxplots of human bone collagen sulfur isotope values (δ³⁴_bcol) of adolescents and adults from Bergheim Saulager and Achenheim Strasse 2, RD 45 sites.

BER, Bergheim; ACH, Achenheim.

Fig. 6.. Summary graph of dentine collagen carbon (δ¹³C_dcol), nitrogen (δ¹⁵N_dcol), sulfur (δ³⁴S_dcol), enamel bioapatite carbon (δ¹³C_ap), enamel carbonate oxygen (δ¹⁸O_c), and enamel strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) isotope values for the 16 individuals from Bergheim “Saulager” and Achenheim “Strasse 2, RD 45” sites selected for a life history approach.

δ¹³C_dcol and δ¹⁵N_dcol data represent the mean of the sequential δ¹³C_dcol and δ¹⁵N_dcol values corresponding to formation ages of M1 (0 to 3 years) and M2 crowns (2.5 to 8 years) (22), respectively (cf. table S4).