Stable isotope data (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) from Lombard burials at Kyjov (5th–6th centuries AD, Moravia, Czech Republic)

Abstract

This dataset contains stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope values obtained from bone collagen of 73 human and 19 faunal samples excavated from the Lombard (Langobard) cemetery at Kyjov, Moravia (Czech Republic), dated to the 5th–6th centuries AD. These data were generated to investigate dietary practices during the Central European phase of the Lombard migration. The results provide evidence for a diet primarily based on C₃ plants and animal proteins, with indications of millet consumption by some individuals, likely linked to the local indigenous population. The dataset also supports the identification of sex-related differences in animal protein intake, with males showing higher δ¹⁵N values than females.

Keywords

• Bone collagen
• Human remains
• Faunal remains
• Millet consumption
• Sex-based dietary differences
• Central European migration
• Early medieval Moravia
• Paleodiet reconstruction