In a remarkable breakthrough that challenges long-held assumptions about the mobility of ancient populations, recent bioarchaeological research has illuminated the surprisingly international character of the Bronze Age elite buried in Seddin, Germany. While archaeological findings had previously identified imported artifacts in this region, suggesting far-reaching trade connections, this pioneering study goes a step further by demonstrating that the people themselves were not merely passive recipients of goods but active agents of migration and settlement. Through meticulous isotopic analysis of cremated skeletal remains, the research unveils a complex tapestry of human movement and cultural exchange spanning across Europe during a transformative period roughly between 900 and 700 BCE.
The focal point of this study was the elite burial mounds surrounding Seddin, a site hitherto recognized for its monumental funerary architecture yet insufficiently explored from a bioarchaeological perspective. This investigation stands as the first of its kind, providing unprecedented insight into the life histories of individuals interred within these impressive tumuli. While artifacts can reflect the flow of goods and ideas, it is only through direct study of human remains that the physical mobility and migration patterns of ancient populations can be inferred with confidence. This distinction is critical for understanding the mechanisms of cultural interaction during the Late Bronze Age in Europe.
Dr. Anja Frank, who led this international research team, emphasizes the significance of the scientific approach taken in this study. By analyzing the chemical signatures locked within the skeletal remains, specifically strontium isotope ratios preserved in the inner ear bones, the team could scientifically differentiate locals from non-locals. These strontium isotopes are geo-specific, effectively encoding the geological fingerprint of the environmental region where a person spent their early childhood. In the case of cremated remains, the inner ear bone, or petrous portion of the temporal bone, is of particular importance because it is robust and retains its isotopic composition despite burning. This methodological innovation allowed the researchers to uncover the geographic origins of individuals who lived and died more than two millennia ago.
The study’s findings reveal that the majority of elite individuals buried at Seddin bore strontium isotope signatures inconsistent with the local geological baseline, firmly indicating origins beyond the immediate region. The baseline itself was carefully established through the analysis of diverse environmental proxies such as archaeological soils and contemporary surface water samples around the Seddin area. Establishing such local baselines is critical for comparative purposes, enabling a high-resolution reconstruction of ancient mobility patterns. Scientists observed that many of the strontium signatures aligned with those found in regions of southern Scandinavia, Central Europe, and possibly Northern Italy, areas known archaeologically for intensified trade and cultural interaction during the Late Bronze Age.
These conclusions strongly support a model in which Seddin functioned as a significant hub within a broader network of international exchange. Rather than isolated communities trading goods at a distance, these findings suggest that people—particularly the social elite—traveled extensively and chose to settle far from their places of childhood origin. The presence of non-local individuals interred in prominent burial mounds implies not only physical mobility but also the incorporation of foreign elites into the local power structures. This pattern sheds new light on processes of social integration, cultural assimilation, and the dynamic nature of Bronze Age societies in Northern Europe.
The dataset consisted of cremated remains from five burial sites, including the notable Wickbold I mound, which dates back to the 9th century BCE. Cremated remains pose specific challenges for isotopic analysis, as high-temperature ritual burning can alter biological tissues; however, the study’s innovative focus on the petrous bone circumvented these complications. By targeting the cochlear part of the inner ear, which forms during early childhood and is highly resistant to post-mortem changes, the research team could confidently retrieve reliable isotopic data. This methodological refinement represents a leap forward in the study of cremated Bronze Age individuals, who have traditionally been underrepresented in mobility research due to such analytical difficulties.
Despite the focus on elite burials, Dr. Frank cautions against generalizing the findings to the broader population. The prominent grave goods and monumental architecture of these mounds suggest that these individuals occupied a distinct social status, possibly reflecting a selective sample of movers and settlers. Therefore, while the research unambiguously documents mobility among the elite, further study is needed to map migration patterns across all social strata within the Bronze Age communities. Nevertheless, these elite movements likely had far-reaching implications for cultural transmission, political alliances, and the consolidation of power during this dynamic period.
Crucially, this research was made possible through an interdisciplinary collaboration, combining expertise in archaeology, archaeometry, and geochemistry, drawn from institutions across Europe including the University of Gothenburg, National Museum of Denmark, and the University of Copenhagen. This collective approach facilitated the integration of regional geological datasets with archaeological context, allowing for a multifaceted reconstruction of past human behaviors. Professor Kristian Kristiansen of the University of Gothenburg highlights how the international and cooperative nature of the project mirrors the ancient patterns of mobility it uncovered, underscoring the benefits of cross-disciplinary research in uncovering complex historical narratives.
The strontium isotope results closely align with existing archaeological knowledge about intensifying trade and cultural ties between Southern Scandinavia, Central Europe, and Northern Italy during the Late Bronze Age. This concurrence between biological and archaeological evidence strengthens the argument that Seddin was part of an extensive network connecting disparate regions of Europe. These links may have facilitated the movement not only of commodities but also of ideas, technologies, and people, contributing to the widespread cultural transformations characteristic of this era. The detection of distinct geological signatures in the skeletal remains translates abstract notions of connectivity into tangible evidence of ancient human journeys.
This new understanding of human mobility during the Bronze Age challenges previous conceptions of prehistoric communities as largely sedentary or isolated villages. Instead, it emphasizes the fluidity and multidimensionality of past societies, where movement, migration, and settlement played key roles in shaping cultural landscapes. The implications extend beyond archaeology, touching on broader questions about identity, power, and social organization in premodern contexts. The dynamic population exchanges evidenced by this study invite a reassessment of how ancient Europeans experienced and structured their world through travel, alliance, and interregional relations.
Published in the open-access journal PLOS One, the article titled “A Late Bronze Age Foreign Elite? Investigating Mobility Patterns at Seddin, Germany” is poised to influence future research on prehistoric mobility and social complexity. Its innovative bioarchaeological techniques, coupled with rigorous environmental baseline definitions, provide a template for similar studies elsewhere. Moreover, by highlighting the movement of individuals rather than just trade goods, this study reshapes our understanding of Bronze Age international networks, demonstrating the potential for human remains to unlock stories of past connectivity concealed beneath the soil.
Looking ahead, these findings beckon further exploration into the life histories of individuals buried across Europe’s monumental landscapes. As isotopic and molecular methods continue to advance, researchers can hope to uncover even more detailed portraits of ancient mobility, migration, and cultural interplay. For now, the Seddin investigation stands as a landmark study illuminating the multinational world of Bronze Age elites, whose journeys forged new social and geopolitical realities that resonate through archaeology into the present day.
Subject of Research: Human tissue samples
Article Title: A Late Bronze Age foreign elite? Investigating mobility patterns at Seddin, Germany
News Publication Date: 10-Sep-2025
Web References:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0330390
References:
Kristian Kristiansen, Anja Frank, Serena Sabatini et al., “A Late Bronze Age Foreign Elite? Investigating Mobility Patterns at Seddin, Germany,” PLOS One, 10.1371/journal.pone.0330390 (2025).
Keywords: Bronze Age, Seddin, ancient mobility, strontium isotopes, bioarchaeology, cremation analysis, elite burials, Europe, prehistoric migration, archaeological science
