Article, 2024
Vittrup Man–The life-history of a genetic foreigner in Neolithic Denmark
PLOS ONE,
ISSN
1932-6203,
Volume 19,
2,
Page e0297032,
10.1371/journal.pone.0297032
Contributors
Fischer, Anders
0000-0003-0852-5904
(Corresponding author)
[1]
[2]
[3]
Sjögren, Karl-Göran
0000-0003-1791-3175
(Corresponding author)
[2]
Jensen, Theis Zetner Trolle
0000-0002-7166-7975
[3]
Jørkov, Marie Louise Schjellerup
0000-0002-5283-4328
[3]
Lysdahl, Per
[4]
Vimala, Tharsika
0000-0003-2709-5815
[3]
Refoyo-Martínez, Alba
0000-0002-3674-4007
[3]
Scorrano, Gabriele
0000-0002-0887-4023
[3]
Price, T Douglas
[2]
[5]
Gröcke, Darren Richard
0000-0003-2296-7530
[6]
Gotfredsen, Anne Birgitte
0000-0001-7665-2935
[3]
Sørensen, Lasse Vilien
[7]
Alexandersen, Verner
[3]
Wåhlin, Sidsel
[4]
Stenderup, Jesper T
[3]
Bennike, Ole
0000-0002-5486-9946
[8]
[9]
Ingason, Andrés
[3]
[10]
Iversen, Rune
0000-0001-7618-625X
[3]
Sikora, Martin
0000-0003-2818-8319
[3]
Racimo, Fernando
0000-0002-5025-2607
[3]
Willerslev, Eske
0000-0002-7081-6748
[3]
[11]
Allentoft, Morten Erik
0000-0003-4424-3568
[3]
[12]
Kristiansen, Kristian
[2]
[3]
Affiliations
- [1]
Sealand Archaeology, Kalundborg, Denmark
[NORA names:
Miscellaneous; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [2]
University of Gothenburg
[NORA names:
Sweden; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [3]
University of Copenhagen
[NORA names:
KU University of Copenhagen; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [4]
Vendsyssel Historical Museum, Hjørring, Denmark
[NORA names:
Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [5]
University of Wisconsin–Madison
[NORA names:
United States; America, North; OECD];
(... more)
- [6]
Durham University
[NORA names:
United Kingdom; Europe, Non-EU; OECD];
- [7]
National Museum of Denmark
[NORA names:
KUM Ministry of Culture - Archives, Museums, and Royal Library Denmark
;
Governmental Institutions; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [8]
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
[NORA names:
GEUS Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland;
Governmental Institutions; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [9]
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark
[NORA names:
GEUS Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland;
Governmental Institutions; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [10]
Mental Health Services
[NORA names:
Capital Region of Denmark;
Hospital; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
- [11]
University of Cambridge
[NORA names:
United Kingdom; Europe, Non-EU; OECD];
- [12]
Curtin University
[NORA names:
Australia; Oceania; OECD]
(less)
Abstract
The lethally maltreated body of Vittrup Man was deposited in a Danish bog, probably as part of a ritualised sacrifice. It happened between c. 3300 and 3100 cal years BC, i.e., during the period of the local farming-based Funnel Beaker Culture. In terms of skull morphological features, he differs from the majority of the contemporaneous farmers found in Denmark, and associates with hunter-gatherers, who inhabited Scandinavia during the previous millennia. His skeletal remains were selected for transdisciplinary analysis to reveal his life-history in terms of a population historical perspective. We report the combined results of an integrated set of genetic, isotopic, physical anthropological and archaeological analytical approaches. Strontium signature suggests a foreign birthplace that could be in Norway or Sweden. In addition, enamel oxygen isotope values indicate that as a child he lived in a colder climate, i.e., to the north of the regions inhabited by farmers. Genomic data in fact demonstrates that he is closely related to Mesolithic humans known from Norway and Sweden. Moreover, dietary stable isotope analyses on enamel and bone collagen demonstrate a fisher-hunter way of life in his childhood and a diet typical of farmers later on. Such a variable life-history is also reflected by proteomic analysis of hardened organic deposits on his teeth, indicating the consumption of forager food (seal, whale and marine fish) as well as farmer food (sheep/goat). From a dietary isotopic transect of one of his teeth it is shown that his transfer between societies of foragers and farmers took place near to the end of his teenage years.
Keywords
Beaker culture,
Danish bogs,
Denmark,
Foreign,
Funnel Beaker culture,
Mesolithic humans,
Millennium,
Neolithic,
North,
Norway,
Scandinavia,
Sweden,
analysis,
analytical approach,
approach,
associated with hunter-gatherers,
birthplace,
bog,
bone,
bone collagen,
childhood,
children,
climate,
cold climates,
collagen,
consumption,
culture,
data,
deposition,
diet,
enamel,
farmers,
farmers’ food,
features,
food,
forage food,
foraging,
foreign birthplace,
genomic data,
historical perspective,
humans,
hunter-gatherers,
i.,
isotope analysis,
isotope values,
lethality,
life history,
men,
morphological features,
organic deposits,
oxygen isotope values,
period,
perspective,
population,
proteomic analysis,
region,
remains,
results,
sacrifice,
sheep/goat,
signature,
skeletal remains,
skull,
society,
stable isotope analysis,
strontium,
strontium signatures,
teenage years,
teeth,
transdisciplinary analysis,
transection,
values,
variable life histories,
years,
years BC
Funders
Data Provider: Digital Science