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Shrouded in history: Unveiling the ways of life of an early Muslim population in Santarém, Portugal (8th– 10th century AD)
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Shrouded in history: Unveiling the ways of life of an early Muslim population in Santarém, Portugal (8th– 10th century AD)
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Journal Article
Shrouded in history: Unveiling the ways of life of an early Muslim population in Santarém, Portugal (8th– 10th century AD)
2024
Overview
In around 716 AD, the city of Santarém, Portugal, was conquered by the Berber and Arab armies that swept the Iberian Peninsula and went on to rule the region until the 12 th century. Archaeological excavations in 2007/08 discovered an Islamic necropolis (Avenida 5 de Outubro #2–8) that appears to contain the remains of an early Muslim population in Santarém (8 th – 10 th century). In this study, skeletal material from 58 adult individuals was analysed for stable carbon ( δ 13 C col ; δ 13 C ap ), nitrogen ( δ 15 N) and sulphur ( δ 34 S) isotope ratios in bones, and stable oxygen ( δ 18 O), carbon ( δ 13 C en ) and radiogenic strontium ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) isotopes in tooth enamel. The results of this study revealed a dietary pattern of predominantly C 3 -plant and domestic C 3 -fed herbivore consumption during adulthood ( δ 13 C col and δ 15 N, respectively) but a higher proportion of C 4 -plant input during childhood ( δ 13 C en ) for some individuals—interpreted as possible childhood consumption of millet porridge, a common practice in North Africa—in those with unorthodox burial types (Groups 1 and 2) that was not practiced in the individuals with canonical burials (Group 3). In this first mobility study of a medieval Muslim population in Portugal, δ 18 O DW values revealed greater heterogeneity in Groups 1 and 2, consistent with diverse origins, some in more humid regions than Santarém when compared to regional precipitation δ 18 O data, contrasting the more homogenous Group 3, consistent with the local precipitation δ 18 O range. Ancient DNA analysis conducted on three individuals revealed maternal (mtDNA) and paternal (Y-chromosome) lineages compatible with a North African origin for (at least) some of the individuals. Additionally, mobility of females in this population was higher than males, potentially resulting from a patrilocal social system, practiced in Berber and Arab communities. These results serve to offer a more detailed insight into the ancestry and cultural practices of early Muslim populations in Iberia.
