Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopic Ratios and Ancient DNA Evidence from Barcin Höyük and Kadikalesi Anaia

This study presents the integrated results of stable carbon (d¹³C) and nitrogen (d¹5N) isotope and aDNA analyses, conducted to examine dietary and mobility practices in two mid- to late Byzantine communities in western Anatolia: the coastal, cosmopolitan site of Kadikalesi Anaia and the rural inland settlement of Barcin Höyük. Isotopic data from thirty-eight individuals indicate that both populations primarily consumed terrestrial C3-based resources. At Kadikalesi, d¹5N values show greater variability, suggesting more differentiated access to animal protein sources, whereas the rural community at Barcin Höyük exhibits isotopic homogeneity, consistent with more uniform dietary practices and an equitable access to food. Kadikalesi also shows intra-site dietary variation by age and sex, while Barcin is again more homogeneous. At Barcin, aDNA results indicate a predominant local genetic continuity, suggesting a stable population; a single instance of external ancestry is attested by a male individual with affinities to western populations, particularly from eastern Europe, in line with historical military resettlement patterns (stratiotika ktemata). By integrating isotopic and genomic evidence, this study demonstrates how ancestry and mobility shaped dietary habits, offering insights into the interplay of urbanism, mobility, and social organization in the Byzantine period.