Spatial diffusion of surnames by long transhumance routes between highland and lowland: A study in Sardinia.

We explored the relationships among Sardinian populations by means of a spatial analysis of surnames in five villages in the historical–geographical zone of Barbagia di Belvì, a mountainous area traditionally devoted to sheep-herding and the point of departure of transhumance toward lowland areas. We collected the surnames of 19th century Sardinian populations through the Status Animarum (parish censuses). The structures of past populations were compared with current structures based on surnames reported in telephone directories. The lowland villages studied have been the final destination of transhumance and have a different historical, cultural and economic background. The spread of surnames in Sardinia may have occurred also by means of transhumance which took place every year along precise routes from the pastoral mountain zones to the agricultural plains. The standardized index of Chen and Cavalli-Sforza was used to calculate relationships among the five villages of Barbagia di Belvì (Aritzo, Belvì, Desulo, Gadoni and Tonara). An application of non-metric multidimensional scaling to the isonymy matrices showed that the villages of Barbagia di Belvì form a group that have changed very little over time. Transhumance routes were studied by spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I) applied to surnames. The results suggest that there has been an appreciable admixture between the Sardinian populations of the mountain villages of the central areas and the populations of southern lowland villages.