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Social inequality in the Middle-Late Neolithic? Stable isotope analysis of the individuals from Beli Manastir-Popova zemlja (Osijek, Croatia)

Beli Manastir (Slavonia, Croatia) is the largest Middle-Late Neolithic habitation site discovered in Croatia. A total of 37 individuals were found in different burial positions and different areas of this site, and sometimes within burial clusters, with only three individuals buried with abundant grave goods. The burials were, in most cases, placed between or alongside buildings, although some of them could be found in pits or the channel located in the northeastern part of the site. Interestingly, while adult males and females are equally represented, almost half of the total number of inhumations belong to subadults, two-thirds of which were females, which suggests possible sex selection. Some authors (Los 2020 ; Freilich et al. 2021) suggested that the possible sex selection, the differences in burial positions and locations, the presence of burial clusters, as well as of grave goods are likely an indication of different social statuses within this Neolithic community. We therefore carried out carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotope analysis to investigate both the long- and short-term diet and mobility of the individuals from Beli Manastir to test whether the hypothesis of social inequality at this site can be corroborated by dietary and mobility isotopic data.

Neolithic ; Croatia ; diet ; stable isotopes

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