Results of isotopic analyses of human skeletal remains from Cemetery OS in Soba (Sudan)

Results of isotopic studies (strontium, oxygen, and carbon) in samples of human and animal remains (tooth enamel) from the medieval archaeological site of Soba (modern-day Sudan). The aim of the project was to investigate the origin of the deceased buried at the OS Cemetery using isotopic composition analysis of bone material, and consequently to analyze the ethnic composition of the population of the medieval city and the probable migration routes. The entire project also included determining the isotopic content in samples of animal bones and tooth enamel from various contexts within the medieval city, both to create a reference database for interpreting current results and for future research projects. Samples for the study were collected during fieldwork in the 2019/2020 season and then subjected to laboratory analysis based on permits issued by the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums of the Sudan (NCAM). The isotopic studies were conducted in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology (previously the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, MPI SHH) Stable Isotopes Laboratory and the University of Cape Town Department of Archaeology Stable Light Isotopes Laboratory, where samples of tooth enamel and bone tissue were collected and then subjected to laboratory processing and mass spectrometry to determine isotopic composition. The strontium isotopic content was determined in 28 samples of tooth enamel (including 14 from humans and 14 from animals). A total of 30 samples were analyzed, although two of them were found to be too damaged due to post-depositional factors, and their analysis did not yield results. The file contains raw data resulting from the laboratory analysis, including the isotopic analysis result for each sample along with the standard deviation, the laboratory standards used, the laboratory sample identifier, and the human remains identifier assigned during the excavation research.