Genomic and isotopic insights into cat dispersal and diet from Viking to medieval northern Germany

Bioarchaeological studies of ancient wild and domestic animals provide critical insights into animal translocation and human-animal relationships over time. Domestic cats (Felis catus), in particular, have a long history of association with humans as companions and pest controllers. This makes them valuable bio-proxies for reconstructing human movements via sea and land routes, as well as dietary shifts in the anthropogenic niche. In this study, we performed genomic and stable isotope analyses on over 90 cat remains from two major trade hubs in northern Germany: the Viking settlement of Haithabu (AD 800 - 1050) and its medieval successor, the town of Schleswig (AD 1050 - 1250). Ancient DNA analysis showed no clear geographical pattern in mitochondrial DNA ancestries from the two sites, all of which belong to clade IV of F. s. lybica and are assigned to haplogroups A, C, and D. This likely reflects the widespread dispersal of domestic cats in Europe starting from the Roman era. Nuclear DNA analysis revealed limited gene flow from European wildcats, consistent with previous findings on ancient domestic cats from other regions in Europe. Stable carbon (δ13C µ = -19.1 ± 0.7‰) and nitrogen (δ15N µ = 10.5 ± 1.1‰) isotope ratio analysis of cats from both sites indicates that most cats had mixed diets involving some marine foods supplied by or scavenged from humans. This multidisciplinary approach enables a comprehensive reconstruction of human-mediated cat dispersals and their dietary patterns during pivotal socio-economic transformation.

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