21-EPN-FT1-028 – Integrated aDNA, Sr-O-C isotope data and 14C dates to link human individuals to Roman military units
Visit by Lisette Kootker, Vrie University Amsterdam (Netherlands), to TA2 Facility 16 – Carbon-14 Dating AMS Laboratory (Hungary).
Dates of visit: 28 November – 02 December 2022.
Report Summary: The lower German limes, the most northern frontier of the Roman Empire on mainland Europe, was the earliest linear frontier of the Roman Empire. Where the Lower German limes ends in the North Sea, the unique Roman cemetery of Valkenburg Marktveld was excavated that plays a key role in understanding the population dynamics in a Roman borderland and coastal landscape. In addition to our current biomolecular research, AMS radiocarbon dates were proposed of 29 adult individuals who were subjected to isotope and aDNA studies with the aim to establish an essential and reliable dating framework that will contribute to the human story and understanding the human history at the Marktveld site.
Prior to the Europlanet TA visit at the Isotoptech Zrt. AMS laboratory, collagen was successfully extracted from 27 individuals. During the visit, our team had the opportunity to learn how the MICADAS system applied to analyse the collagen samples was operated. The calibrated 14C dates range between 343 BCE to 244 CE. Additional δ13C and δ15N will be used to evaluate the collagen quality and possible impact of reservoir effects. Preliminary analysis shows the presence of four groups: 1) pre-Roman; 2) 100 BCE – 60 CE; 3) up to 125 CE, and finally; 4) and younger than 125 BCE. The associated 87Sr/86Sr show slightly higher mean and more variation in the last two groups than the first two (0.7102 ± 0.0010 vs. 0.7096 ± 0.0009). The 14C data will be reposited in IsoArc
