Transitional foodways: Investigating the Anglo-Saxon transition through a multidisciplinary study of consumption practices in 3rd-8th century Northamptonshire 

Project summary

This project will use strontium isotope analysis combined with carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope evidence to investigate population movement, diet and changing lifestyles in the Nene Valley during the transition from the Roman to early medieval period. By analysing 57 human enamel samples from four archaeological sites, the research will identify where individuals grew up, detect patterns of migration, and explore how mobility and diet changed as Roman systems of administration and trade declined.

The project will provide the first high-resolution multi-isotope study of rural wetland communities in Britain during this period of major social transformation. By integrating geological, biological and archaeological evidence, it will challenge existing models of migration and cultural change while creating valuable open-access isotope datasets for future research. The findings will establish new approaches for understanding human responses to periods of political and economic upheaval, with wider applications for archaeological studies of mobility worldwide.