Palaeodiet of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in north-eastern Italy: evidence from the burials of Vatte di Zambana (TN), Mezzocorona (TN) and Mondeval de Sora (BL)

This study discusses the first stable isotopic data (δ13C and δ15N) obtained on human (n=3) and faunal remains (n=9) from three Mesolithic sites in north-eastern Italy. It thus aims at contributing to the reconstruction of human diet and understanding the potential relationship between foodstuff consumption, landscape use and mobility. Vatte di Zambana and Mezzocorona (Trento) are two camp-sites situated in the Adige Valley. The two burials discovered in these sites are dated to the end of the Boreal period. They both contain an adult female skeleton with no grave goods, except from a few small pieces of red ochre. Mondeval de Sora (Belluno) is a high altitude hunting-camp located under the overhang of a large erratic boulder on a terrace at 2100 m above sea level. An adult male accompanied by a rich grave goods assemblage was buried at the beginning of the Atlantic period. Results obtained from the three individuals indicate different dietary patterns: the two women derived most proteins from ungulates while the man’s values indicate the consumption of both terrestrial and freshwater resources. In spite of the reduced sample different hypotheses for the interpretation of these data are advanced.