Creating stable isotopic database of faunal remains ‒ Bronze Age Italy

This article presents a zooarchaeological isotopic database for Bronze Age Italy, based on previously published isotopic studies. It integrates 209 samples from both, domesticated and wild animals, across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. The primary aim of the study is to provide comprehensive description of isotopic data covering historical, archaeological, biological, zooarchaeological, geological information in one compile file. It offers a wide-ranging analysis of animal and plant consumption patterns across Italy during the Bronze Age, highlighting differences and similarities across the Italian peninsula and islands. The article underlines isotopic databases as a crucial source for meta-analytical research of prehistorical lifestyle, underscoring their significance in archaeological studies and providing multi-lay-ered insights into prehistoric human-animal interactions. Furthermore, it presents a vital importance of zooarchaeology, as a discipline to investigate human dietary and husbandry practices. Statistical methods are applied to visualize and interpret the isotopic data in order to enhance the clarity and accuracy of di-etary and socio-economic dynamics in Bronze Age Italy. After gathering isotopic studies and organizing them in an excel file based on various criteria, statistical tests for multiple comparison analysis of isotopic ratios were performed using the SPSS software. The Results suggest marked regional differences in diet, with Northern Italy showing early evidence of C4 plant cultivation, such as millet, while Central and Southern Italy maintained a reliance on traditional cereals like wheat and barley (C3 plants).