1 © Society for Medieval Archaeology 2014 DOI: 10.1179/0076609714Z.00000000029 Medieval Archaeology, 58, 2014 Medieval Migrations: Isotope Analysis of Early Medieval Skeletons on the Isle of Man By LEIGH SYMONDS,1 T DOUGLAS PRICE,2 ANNE KEENLEYSIDE3 and JAMES BURTON4 MANX NATIONAL HERITAGE re-opened its Viking and Medieval Gallery in 2007. Isotope analy- sis of two archaeologically famous skeletons, the Balladoole Viking and the Pagan Lady of Peel, was undertaken to gain information on Viking-Age migration and regional interaction. Additional testing of five early medieval skeletons from the St Patrick’s Isle cemetery and two from Speke Keeill was also completed. Here we present the results of the analysis of dental enamel using strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope ratios. The off-island origins of many of these individuals are confirmed, as well as the role of migration in island demographics. ISLAND DYNAMICS IN THE EARLY MEDIEVAL PERIOD Migration is a key aspect of island population dynamics. The Isle of Man is no exception. Situated in the middle of the Irish Sea, almost equidistant from Ireland and the British mainland, it is an ideal stepping stone between two major landmasses among the North Atlantic islands. On a clear day, visibility between the Isle of Man and its neighbours is possible. Furthermore, it is at the southern reaches of an island-hopping route linking Scandinavia with the British Isles. The early medieval period (c ad 500–1100) can be defined as a time of numerous migrations across the European continent, beginning with Germanic peoples during and after the fall of the Roman Empire and ending with the Viking incursions that reached into Russia and the east coast of North America. While often referred to as the ‘Dark Ages’, this period is now understood as an age of economic revival, political consolidation, religious conversion and ideological reinvention when ideas and goods flowed from one end of Europe to another.5 The Isle of Man was closely connected with the initial spread of Christianity from Ireland into Scotland, via Colum Cille and St Adamnan and other early missionaries who spread the word of Christ across the British Isles during the 3rd–5th centuries ad. For 1 Trent University Archaeological Research Centre, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9J 7B8. leighsymonds@trentu.ca 2 Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Aarhus, Moesgard, 8270 Hojbjerg, Denmark. tdprice@wisc.edu 3 Department of Anthropology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9J 7B8. akeenleyside@trentu.ca 4 Laboratory for Archaeological Chemistry, 1180 Observatory Drive, Madison WI, 53706, USA. jhburton315@ gmail.com 5 Hodges 1989; Crumlin-Pedersen and Munch Thye 1995; Crawford 1998.