Building a New Understanding of Immigration, Diet and Health during the Early Medieval Period: Assessing the Maternal and Infant Health of Anglo-Saxon Immigrants (Ref IAP-17-62) (Durham University, Archaeology Department)

We invite applications for a competitive CASE NERC IAPETUS 3 ½ year fully funded studentship in the Department of Archaeology, Durham University supervised by Dr Janet Montgomery, Rebecca Gowland and Darren Grocke (University of Durham), Philippa Ascough (University of Glasgow/SUERC), Richard Mortimer (Oxford Archaeology) and Duncan Sayer (UCLAN). The successful student will also have the opportunity to extend their funding for up to 6 months by undertaking an approved work placement.

This project aims to understand diet, health, and mobility in early medieval Britain during the Adventus Saxonum. This is a period of reputedly large-scale migration and social change that is crucially important to understanding our human past, but for which there are key gaps in our knowledge. For example, we know from ancient DNA that females migrated great distances from continental Europe, but not how this fits into society at the time. The student will perform cutting-edge, new methods of high-resolution carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of infants, children and adults excavated from two 5th-6th century AD cemeteries in Cambridgeshire, UK. These are geographically close but have very different demographic profiles and funerary assemblages. Migration during this, and the preceding Roman period, has tended to be characterised as a predominantly male endeavour. Female mobility and the impact on maternal and infant health has largely been overlooked until now. By reconstructing the life histories of these people, the student will build a new, high-profile understanding of how societies functioned at this time. This project resonates strongly with contemporary debates concerning the migration of women and children, as well as ethnic assimilation within their host community.


The research sites
Oakington is a large 5th-6th century AD cemetery that was virtually complete and undisturbed when excavated. 124 individuals, including double and triple burials, were recovered with many female gendered grave goods. By contrast, just three spearheads and two shields were recovered. Over 27% (35) of the individuals were aged under five years old (Mortimer et al. 2017). Hatherdean is a large, complete 5th-6th century AD cemetery of 126 individuals, with, like Oakington, many grave goods and double/triple burials. Unlike Oakington however, many more artefacts were from male burials with 18 spear heads and six shield bosses. Around 18% (25) of the individuals were aged under five years (Ladd & Mortimer 2017).


The current project
The Oakington project is the only comprehensive research-led excavation of an early Anglo-Saxon cemetery for the last 20 years. Alongside Hatherdean, this project provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore two well preserved, recently excavated sites within 10 miles of each other. Though geographically close, the two cemeteries are quite distinct with different proportions of male/female gendered artefacts, numbers of infant burials, and multiple occupancy graves. This allows the student to investigate migration and feeding practices of infants alongside aDNA, including how migrants integrated into local communities. Specifically, the study will investigate early life stresses and feeding practices from mothers and children, comparing those who survived to adulthood with those who died prematurely. Individuals will be radiocarbon dated where justified: there are currently only eight dates for Oakington and none from Hatherdean.
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Methodology
The project will produce δ13C, δ15N and δ34S profiles from teeth of infants, children and adults to compare in utero and childhood dietary life-histories from those who survived to adulthood and those who did not. It will start with a literature review, familiarisation with human teeth sampling methods and mass spectrometry. Fieldwork will involve the collection of modern environmental samples (plants, waters, soils) from the Cambridge region to provide background data for human and animal samples through visits in collaboration with excavators Richard Mortimer, Senior Project Manager, Oxford Archaeology East (CASE partner) and Dr Duncan Sayer, University of Central Lancashire. Statistical data analysis will be interpreted within current knowledge of human responses to dietary, growth and nutritional change and isotope variation in the biosphere.


Further information about the project, eligibility and the application process can be found here http://www.iapetus.ac.uk/category/institution/durham/archaeology/
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