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Thesis
Moving to Medieval Berlin
University of West Florida Libraries
Master of Arts (MA), University of West Florida
2018
Abstract
The earliest years of modern Berlin are unknown since very few documents from the time have survived. The lives and origins of the settlers are largely unknown. However, the excavation of Petriplatz, a Medieval cemetery in Berlin, allows bioarchaeological research to be done to understand the formative years of this city. This study employs oxygen, carbon, and strontium isotope analysis to understand migration of the earliest settlers of Berlin in order to determine if the city was settled by locals or non-local individuals. Dental enamel was analyzed from 13 adults dating between the 11th and 13th centuries AD in an effort to identify individuals born locally. This investigation yielded at least five potential immigrants who moved to Berlin during or after childhood, as their oxygen and strontium isotope signatures are outside the local range. Results show that both males and females were migrating to Berlin from nearby areas, all individuals were eating similar foods, and individuals from the Petriplatz cemetery were isotopically similar to other nearby Medieval sites. This first isotopic study of migration of the earliest settlers provides a glimpse into Berlin's mysterious formative years and provides the comparative data for future isotope studies at Petriplatz.
Details
- Title
- Moving to Medieval Berlin
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 86
- Copyright
- Permission granted to the University of West Florida Libraries to digitize and/or display this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires the permission of the copyright holder.
- Identifiers
- 99380090723706600
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Arts (MA)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), University of West Florida