Multi-isotope analysis of the human skeletal remains from Blair Atholl, Perth and Kinross, Scotland: Insights into the diet and lifetime mobility of an early medieval individual

In 1985 the remains of a male individual lying in a long cist grave were discovered at Bridge of Tilt, Perth and Kinross. Dated to the 5th–6th century AD, the burial is one of only a small number of known early medieval burials in the area but is part of a rich early medieval and multi-period archaeological landscape. In recent years, the efforts of a commercial and community partnership aiming to re-evaluate the remains of ‘Blair Atholl Man’ has enabled advanced study of the skeleton, including isotope and genetic analyses. Here we present new insights into the diet (δ13C, δ15N) and lifetime mobility (δ34S, δ18Ocarb, 87Sr/86Sr) of this early medieval individual. Results indicate a diet largely based on terrestrial food sources, likely dominated by pork, but including other domestic species and possibly freshwater fish or fowl. Based on the mobility isotope data this individual was an immigrant to the area and likely spent their childhood in a more westerly region of Scotland.