(In) visibilità dell’“altro”. Lo studio dello straniero attraverso le analisi degli isotopi stabili. Il caso di San Sisto a Pisa

This study examines the concept of otherness and the dynamics of mobility in late-medieval Pisa through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates historical, archaeological, and archaeometric sources. It begins by exploring the legal and social definitions of the “foreigner” in medieval documentary sources, analyzing various categories of mobile individuals—including soldiers, merchants, clerics, students, artisans, and marginalized groups—and how they were perceived by host communities. Particular attention is given to legal frameworks and municipal citizenship policies that shaped inclusion and exclusion. The second section focuses on the material evidence of mobility, such as settlement structures, grave goods, and osteological remains. The third section discusses archaeometric studies, particularly isotopic analyses applied to the human remains from the cemetery of San Sisto in Pisa, which help trace individual mobility patterns. The analysis presents a nuanced and non-monolithic view of the foreigner in the Middle Ages, showing how religious, economic, political, and cultural factors profoundly influenced mechanisms of integration and marginalization. The case study of Pisa provides a valuable lens through which to examine urban regulation and social negotiation of mobility, contributing to a broader reflection on identity, space, and belonging.