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Evidence of Barbarian migrations and interpersonal violence during the Gothic War in sixth-century Tuscany: the case of the Goth horseman from San Genesio (Pisa)

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Abstract

During excavations carried out at the necropolis of San Genesio, taphonomic analysis permitted the detection of a small nucleus of distinctive graves dated to the sixth century and set within the wider context of autochthonous burials. This group was characterized by features such as wooden coffins and tree trunk burials, elements typical of the Germanic cultural milieu. Furthermore, anthropological analysis of the skeletal remains identified a case of Artificial Cranial Deformation (ACD), a distinctive element of Gothic ethnic groups. Individuals with ACD are extremely rare in the Italian archeological record and are related to the period in which the Gothic migrations took place. The subject, buried in a wooden casket, was a male individual with a deformed skull, polytraumatized, and most likely killed in combat, possibly during the Gothic War. This is the first Italian case of an individual with ACD, who died a certified violent death.

The present study, despite the absence of traditional Germanic grave goods, has allowed to hypothesize the existence at San Genesio of an allochthonous group, a theory further supported by strontium isotope analysis.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and comments. Following the suggestions, we included several improvements in the manuscript.

Thanks to Alexander Agostini for the help with the English revision of this paper.

We also thank Andrea Gervasi for the dental X-rays that contributed in estimating age at death.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, Via D. Birago 64, 73100, Lecce, Italy

    Serena Viva & Pier Francesco Fabbri

  2. Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy

    Carmine Lubritto

  3. Department of Civilizations and Forms of Knowledge, University of Pisa, Via dei Mille 19, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Federico Cantini

Authors
  1. Serena Viva
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  2. Carmine Lubritto
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  3. Federico Cantini
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  4. Pier Francesco Fabbri
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Contributions

Work concept and design: SV and PFF. Anthropological and taphonomic analysis: SV. Isotope and 14C analysis: CL. Contributed to the writing of the manuscript: SV, FC, CL, and PFF.

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Correspondence to Serena Viva.

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Viva, S., Lubritto, C., Cantini, F. et al. Evidence of Barbarian migrations and interpersonal violence during the Gothic War in sixth-century Tuscany: the case of the Goth horseman from San Genesio (Pisa). Archaeol Anthropol Sci 14, 39 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01515-4

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