Strontium isotopes and cremation: Investigating mobility patterns in the Roman city of Mutina (north-eastern Italy)

• Calcined bones are a reliable substrate for the preservation of strontium isotopes. • 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values suggest different mobility pattern and origin of some individuals. • Isotope analysis improves the estimation of the minimum number of individuals. • Grave goods enhance the understanding of mobility patterns. Cremation was a very common ritual in ancient Roman funerary traditions. However, the study of cremated human remains has always been complex and challenging, which has often led to an imbalance in data recording between inhumations and cremations. In this work, we study 14 cremation burials from two different urban cemeteries in the Roman city of Mutina (Modena, Emilia-Romagna, north-eastern Italy). The use of strontium isotope analysis provides insights into the mobility pattern and provenance of individuals cremated and buried at Mutina . The isotopic results suggest that nine samples fall outside the local bioavailable strontium range of the city of Modena, given their different 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values compared to the ratio compatible with alluvial deposits in the Po Valley. Both the isotopic results and the manufacture of some funerary objects suggest that the probable provenance of some individuals is compatible with western (Pre)Alpine areas. The values of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr also complement the results obtained from the osteological analysis increasing the minimum number of individuals buried in at least one grave. Our study revealed key insights about cremated individuals from Italy, highlighting variations of the mobility patterns within Roman funerary contexts of Mutina .