Strontium Isotope Analysis

During the transition from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, the Roman Empire dissolved in the West and medieval empires were founded. There has been much discussion about the role that migration played in this transition. This is especially true for the formation of the Baiuvariian tribe and the founding of this tribal dukedom, which took place from the 5th to the 6th century in what is now Southern Bavaria (Germany). In this study, we aimed to determine the extent of immigration during the beginning of this transformation and to shed further light on its character. To achieve this goal, we analyzed stable isotope values of strontium, carbon, and nitrogen from the teeth and bones of over 150 human remains from Southern Germany, dating from around 500 AD. This group of individuals included women with cranial modifications (ACD) which can be found sporadically in the burial grounds of this period. Our results showed an above-average migration rate for both men and women in the secon...

Stable isotope analysis has become a key research approach in archaeology, enabling the reconstruction of diets, subsistence strategies, agricultural transitions, and  human-environment relationships. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes are the most widely applied, providing insights into ancient dietary practices by distinguishing between C_3 and C_4 plant consumption, identifying trophic level differences, and tracing reliance on terrestrial  versus marine  resources.
While well  established in Europe, Africa, and the Americas, this field remains at a developing stage in South Asia and requires greater scholarly attention. This review synthesizes current research on δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N within the South Asian archaeological context, spanning from Neolithic communities to the Harapan civilization and other prehistoric cultures.
Case studies highlight the early adoption of millet as staple food, the integration of mixed C_3 and C_4  diets, coastal subsistence strategies, and evidence of pastoral mobility from Harappan sites in Gujarat. Despite these advances, isotopic research remains limited by the scarcity of human skeletal analyses, inadequate faunal and isotopic baselines, challenges of preservation in tropical environments and the historically culture-oriented approach of South Asian archaeology.
This study concludes by suggesting future directions for isotopic research, particularly through integration with zooarchaeology, palaeobotany and palaeoclimate studies. Expanding isotopic research in South Asia has the potential to provide deeper insights into ancient dietary strategies, palaeoclimate variability, human adaptations during the Quaternary and patterns of late Quaternary extinctions.

While the isotopic composition of strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) is frequently used in archeological and environmental provenience studies, it remains unclear how bioavailable Sr in organic matter and the food chain reflects bedrock sources. Here, we present Sr isotopic measurements of 24 soil and 120 wood samples from four central European forests with variable basement geology. While 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values in bedrock (0.7035-0.7441) and soil (0.7043-0.7552) have a considerable span, wood 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values across sites have a much smaller range (0.7041-0.7245), which is closer to the large-scale atmospheric Sr signature in precipitation (0.7118). Comparable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios for different tree species, cambial ages and root systems suggest that bioavailable Sr in wood is little affected by biotic factors. Given the strength of the atmospheric Sr signal we identify, archeological, environmental and forensic fingerprinting should consider high-resolution spatial isoscape modeling, for which this study provides a baseline for central Europe.

In this study we report the first 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotopic data and mobility analyses of the Pazyryk culture in Central Asia. Throughout prehistory the Altai Mountains represent a unique cultural frontier characterised by a perpetual state of transition, resulting from highly mobile nomadic inhabitants. We analysed human skeletal remains from barrows in the Manzherok region of the Altai Republic, Russian Federation. The analysis was based on 160 measurements of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr from Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), in tandem with environmental samples and comparative animal material. The combined dating evidence and strontium isotopic values indicate that after the 5th century BC, residential mobility amongst Altaic nomads is rising, especially long-distance female mobility, leading to contact acquisition with extrinsic territories of Central Asia. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotopic evidence from Manzherok suggests that members of the Altaic population might have been buried in Scythian tombs located in Tuva and Khakassia, most notably in the Arzhan barrows.

Bioavailable strontium (Sr) isoscapes are essential tools in studies on environmental processes, animal and human mobility and provenance. The success of these studies relies on the comparison between the measured 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotope ratios of specimens and the spatial distribution of environmental bioavailable Sr isotopic signatures across geographical regions. A critical step of this process is the construction of reference maps that integrate environmental Sr isotopic data with geographical information. Here, we present a new bioavailable Sr dataset of 113 environmental samples, including plants and malacological samples collected from center-east Argentina (Paraná Delta, Pampa and Entre Ríos plains) as well as adjacent Uruguay, covering an area of approximately 122,500 km 2. This dataset is further integrated with archaeological bioapatite data from the literature to construct the first random forest-based Sr isoscape of the region. Notably this area is on recent Quaternary (fluvial, marine and aeolian) sediments derived from the erosion of magmatic and metamorphic terrains with different Sr isotope composition from low 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios (about 0.706) to highly radiogenic signatures (>0.71), and heterogeneously transported in the Delta area by the rivers and in the high plains by wind and rivers. This isoscape offers a unique perspective on the Sr isotope distribution in a lithologically homogeneous region characterized by relatively young sedimentary sequences. This work represents a significant advancement in the development of Sr isoscapes, providing a fundamental tool for environmental and archaeological applications in South America.

The central objective of this programme is to assess the merits of employing a multi-isotope analysis methodology to study daily life and key changes in Irish early prehistory through studying human remains. This includes the analysis of strontium isotopes to provide evidence for potential population movements and mobility, and carbon and nitrogen isotopes to gain insights into changes in diet, especially from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic period.

During the Late Bronze Age (ca. 11 th-8 th century BCE), far-reaching and extensive trade and exchange networks linked communities across Europe. The area around Seddin in northwestern Brandenburg, Germany, has long been considered as at the core of one such networks. The degree of which the exchange practices involved

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

Qusais as a reference necropolis. Among the results of these three campaigns were the discovery of two communal graves (Grave A-I and B) and a series of simple graves, which he called Area C (Taha, 2009, pp.63-87). In addition, two ancient settlements (Settlement I and II) were identified, as well as a temple called Mound of Serpents from the Iron Age II (Taha, 2009, pp.89-95).

The archaeological excavations undertaken at the Chalcolithic necropolis of Los
Milanes have revealed a previously unknown variability in funerary practices in the
south-eastern Iberia. For the first time, a megalithic tomb housed a large funerary
deposit (28,740 bone fragments) of exclusively cremated human bone remains. For
a comprehensive characterization of the funerary ritual, a cutting-edge multi-proxy
approach has been undertaken including the osteological study of cremated bone
remains, radiocarbon chronology, Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy in Attenuated
Total Reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR), and carbon, oxygen and strontium isotope
analyses. As a result, the cremation ritual consisted of multi-depositional events of
at least 21 individuals chronologically concentrated in the first quarter of the third
millennium, principally in the 28th century cal BC. The absence of charcoal/ashes
in the funerary chamber and the underrepresentation of anatomical regions such as
lower limb and trunk suggest that the cremation took place elsewhere and the bone
remains were carefully collected and placed as secondary burial depositions. Different
proxies including colour patterns, heat‐induced fractures, the presence of cyanamide
in calcined bones would also suggest the cremation of principally complete
corpses, burnt soon after death. The ritual of cremation coexisted with inhumations
during the third millennium cal BC, suggesting a variability in the body manipulation
that previously went unnoticed. Unlike inhumations, through cremation, bodies would
have been reduced until being indistinguishable, transforming radically the nature of
human beings and their ontological status.

In this paper, we investigate the Scandinavian Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of Kinnekulle in southwestern Sweden. The above-mentioned periods in the study area are poorly understood and the archaeological record consists of a few stray finds and a concentration of 20 gallery graves. This study focuses on three of the gallery graves where commingled skeletons from successive burials were recovered. The human remains and the artefacts from the graves were used for discussing individual life stories as well as living societies with the aim of gaining new knowledge of the last part of the Neolithic and the beginning of the Early Bronze Age in southwestern Sweden. We focused on questions concerning health and trauma, mobility and exchange networks, and diet and subsistence of the people using the graves. Chronological, bioarchaeological, and biomolecular aspects of the burials were approached through the application of archaeological and osteological studies, as well as stable iso...

This poster is part of the MigrAnt project at the University of Granada: Migrations in Social and Physical Anthropology in the Iberian Peninsula. The project aims to assess how mobility affects migrants today while also exploring parallels with prehistoric populations. Beyond the economic, personal, or social benefits that migration processes may have had for the migrant, the consequences often include stressful situations such as
loss of identity, inequality, discrimination, xenophobia, or exile. Additionally, physiological stress can manifest through exposure to new pathogens, childhood health problems, or entheseal changes caused by long-distance
walking. Moreover, migration leaves a direct isotopic imprint on the human skeleton through the consumption of local water and food, reflected in strontium isotopic values, among other isotopes. The Late Neolithic and
Chalcolithic periods were characterized by the arrival of new populations, highly mobile societies, and strong exchange networks. As part of this study, we assess the proportion of migrant (non-local) individuals through isotopic analyses and examine their health status in relation to their potential exogenous origins. Preliminary data suggest that the proportion of non-local individuals in southeastern Iberia is relatively small. However, there
is some observed association between individuals with non-local Strontium (Sr) isotope values and specific pathological conditions, particularly cranial pathologies. Through this poster, we analyze the relationship between
non-local individuals and their health status during the 4th and 3rd millenium BC in the megalithic cemetery of Panoria (Granada, Spain).

The archaeological excavations undertaken at the Chalcolithic necropolis of Los Milanes have revealed a previously unknown variability in funerary practices in the south-eastern Iberia. For the first time, a megalithic tomb housed a large funerary deposit (28,740 bone fragments) of exclusively cremated human bone remains. For a comprehensive characterization of the funerary ritual, a cutting-edge multi-proxy approach has been undertaken including the osteological study of cremated bone remains, radiocarbon chronology, Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy in Attenuated Total Reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR), and carbon, oxygen and strontium isotope analyses. As a result, the cremation ritual consisted of multi-depositional events of at least 21 individuals chronologically concentrated in the first quarter of the third millennium, principally in the 28th century cal BC. The absence of charcoal/ashes in the funerary chamber and the underrepresentation of anatomical regions such as lower limb and trunk suggest that the cremation took place elsewhere and the bone remains were carefully collected and placed as secondary burial depositions. Different proxies including colour patterns, heat‐induced fractures, the presence of cyanamide in calcined bones would also suggest the cremation of principally complete corpses, burnt soon after death. The ritual of cremation coexisted with inhumations during the third millennium cal BC, suggesting a variability in the body manipulation that previously went unnoticed. Unlike inhumations, through cremation, bodies would have been reduced until being indistinguishable, transforming radically the nature of human beings and their ontological status.

Multi-isotope analyses on diverse body tissues can offer valuable information on individual life-histories at different temporal resolutions. Here, we reconstruct the diet and mobility of a Late Mesolithic (ca. 5500 cal. BC) young woman buried in Aizpea rockshelter (Navarre, north-central Iberia). To this end, we combine δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotope analyses of bone collagen, together with sequential δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotope analyses of tooth dentine and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr analysis of tooth enamel from the permanent maxillary right second molar. We also present results of bone collagen measurements for a wide range of coeval faunal remains, including terrestrial ungulates, freshwater fish and birds, and plant remains (i.e. carbonized pome fruits and hazelnut shells) to characterize baseline isotopic signatures. Results suggest a broad-spectrum diet with a relatively high and stable protein intake during early childhood and significant changes in diet during late childhood, including two marked dips in δ 15 N at 8.5 and 11.5 years old, and a progressive decrease in δ 13 C and δ 15 N from adolescence onwards. The dips may relate to metabolic processes related to growth or, more probably, to age-related subsistence practices, particularly supplementation by children of the parentally provisioned diet, while the sustained drop in isotope values may be associated with a progressively higher dietary contribution from plants that extends into adulthood. Strontium isotope data support relatively restricted mobility from age 2.5 to 8 (i.e. the approximate timespan covered by enamel formation in the permanent maxillary second molar), consistent with the high degree of territoriality attributed to the last hunters-gatherers in northern Iberia.

Rationale: The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the application of serial sampling of human dentine in archaeology. Rapid development in the field has provided many improvements in the methodology, in terms of both time resolution as well as the ability to integrate more isotope systems in the analysis. This study provides a comparison of two common sampling approaches, allowing researchers to select the most suitable approach for addressing specific research questions. Methods: Two common approaches for sequential sampling of human dentine (micro-punches and micro-slices) are compared in terms of viability and efficacy. Using archaeological deciduous second molars and permanent first molars, this study
demonstrates how the two approaches capture aspects of the weaning process in different ways. In addition, different aspects related to the extraction protocols, such as the thickness of the central slide and the solubilisation step, are also evaluated.
Results: While both approaches show similar intra-tooth isotopic patterns, the micropunches approach is preferable for research that requires a very fine temporal resolution, while the micro-slices approach is best for research where δ34S values are needed, or when the samples are poorly preserved. In addition, the solubilisation step has a large effect on collagen yield, and, to a lesser extent, on isotopic compositions. Therefore, it is important to ensure that only samples that have undergone the same pre-treatment protocol are directly compared.
Conclusions: We present the pros and cons of the two micro-sampling approaches and offer possible mitigation strategies to address some of the most important issues related to each approach.

The assessment of sex is fundamental in osteoarcheological analysis, yet traditional morphological methods are less reliable for children due to the incomplete development of sexually dimorphic traits. This study applies a multi-method approach-integrating morphological, metric, and genetic data-to assess sex and, through analysis of burial assemblages, explore gender expression as an interpretative complement. While analytically distinct, gender and sex are deeply intertwined, and considering both can offer a fuller understanding of identity. The study focuses on the Viking Age (c. 750-1050 ce) burial site of Ihre, Gotland, with particular attention to individuals under 20. Results reveal strong alignment between metric and genetic sex. Mandibular odontometric analysis proved more consistent than traditional morphological traits when compared to genetic sex, offering an accessible and effective supplement for sex estimation in children. In adolescents, pelvic traits were most informative, while cranial traits showed limited reliability. Genetic sexing provided a critical reference, highlighting misclassifications in morphological assessments, particularly among genetic males. Burial assemblage analysis indicates that gender expression often corresponded with biological sex but varied with age. Female graves typically included dress items such as brooches and pendants, especially after adolescence, while male graves more frequently featured tools and weapons. These patterns suggest that gendered roles and identities were materially expressed and changed over the life course. The findings underscore the importance of a multi-method approach in sex estimation, particularly for children, and demonstrate the value of contextual archeological analysis in interpreting past identities. At Ihre, the interplay between sex, gender, and social identity in mortuary practices suggests a framework that, while broadly organized around binary distinctions, was shaped by age and culturally specific factors-highlighting identity as dynamic, layered, and context-dependent.

Gregoricka, L. A., Ullinger, J. M., Arellano, C., Burke, Q., Goodman, A., Heil, R., McGrath, A., Sheibley, R. (2025). The Impact of Secondary Mortuary Practices on Representation and Distribution of Commingled Elements from Umm an-Nar Human Skeletons in Communal Tombs. Advances in Archaeological Practice, 13(2), 233-240.

Commingled human skeletons have the potential to reveal information about ancient funerary traditions through detailed bioarchaeological analyses of element representation (via minimum number of individuals, or MNI) and postmortem distribution. While MNI estimates are often presented in a perfunctory way, calculations using more nuanced methods may offer insight into taphonomic alteration and mortuary practices no longer visible to archaeologists. At the Early Bronze Age communal tombs of Unar 1 and 2 at the Shimal Necropolis in Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), MNI counts using skull, leg, and foot fragments varied dramatically, probably a result of differences in cortical bone density but also of cremation practices. Additionally, the presence of more elements from the left side of the skeleton suggests continuity with Neolithic interments in which individuals were preferentially laid on their right sides. Complex arrays of internal tomb chambers likewise demonstrate no particular preference for certain skeletal elements, indicating bone was not intentionally relocated to different areas of the tomb following cremation. These patterns differ from other tombs in the region, highlighting the need to more critically assess mortuary practices through "back-to-basics" approaches involving MNI estimates, particularly when involving large numbers of individuals represented by commingled and fragmentary bone.

This research investigates the Marginal basalts in the Asal-Ghoubbet rift, a poorly understood geological feature, with the aim of clarifying magma sources and identifying the mantle reservoir responsible for forming basaltic rocks in the region. The study involved analysing major geochemical elements, rare earth elements and radiogenic isotopes of Sr, Nd and Pb from basalt samples collected in the Marginal basalts of the rift. Additionally, the mineral composition of plagioclase, olivine, pyroxene and Fe-Ti oxides was examined using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) on polished thin sections. Geochemical results indicate a tholeiitic composition for the Marginal basalts, with evidence of fractional crystallization driven initially by clinopyroxene and olivine, followed by plagioclase crystallization. Thermobarometric and MELTS modelling estimated magma storage depths ranging from the Moho to the upper crust. The basalt is slightly enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted in Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs), similar to the characteristics of enriched Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (E-MORB) and Ocean Island Basalt (OIB). Isotopic data of Sr and Nd reveal sources that vary between the high μ mantle source (HIMU) and the dominant prevalent mantle source (PREMA). Furthermore, Pb isotopic signatures suggest an influence from an enriched mantle (EM) component, plotting between the EMI and EMII mantle reservoirs fields. Forward-melting modelling and isotopic evidence suggest that the Afar mantle plume is a significant contributor to the magma source of Marginal basalts in the Asal-Ghoubbet rift. Overall, the study enhances understanding of the magma plumbing system in this area, elucidating the process governing magma chamber evolution and the nature of the mantle reservoirs that generated these basaltic rocks.

Over the last several decades, the application of aDNA and strontium isotope analyses on archaeologically recovered human remains has provided new avenues for the investigation of mobility in past societies. Data on human mobility can be valuable in the reconstruction of prehistoric residential patterns and kinship systems, which are at the center of human social organization and vary across time and space. In this paper, we aim to contribute to our understanding of mobility, residence, and kinship patterns in late Prehistoric Iberia (c. 3300-1400BC) by providing new strontium data on 44 individuals from the site of Humanejos (Parla, Madrid). The study presented here is multi-proxy and looks at these new data by interweaving biological, chronological, and archaeological information. This analysis found that 7/44 individuals buried at Humanejos could be identified as non-local to the necropolis. Although more men (n = 5) than women (n = 2) were found in the non-local category, and more non-local individuals were identified in the pre-Bell Beaker (n = 5) than in Bell Beaker (n = 1) or Bronze Age (n = 1), we find no statistically significant differences concerning sex or time period. This contrasts with other archaeological datasets for late prehistoric Europe which suggest higher female mobility, female exogamy, and male-centered residential patterns were common. At Humanejos, we have also identified one non-local female whose exceptional Beaker grave goods suggest she was an individual of special status, leading to additional questions about the relationships between gender, mobility, and social position in this region and time period.

To better comprehend the dietary practices of past populations in the Eastern Baltic region we have created temporally and geographically restricted baselines for the time period of 200–1800 CE. In this multi-isotopic analysis, we report new δ13C, δ15N and δ34S values for 251 faunal bone collagen samples from various archaeological contexts in Estonia representing the most comprehensive set of Iron Age, Medieval and Early Modern Period faunal stable isotope values to date. The results map out the local carbon and nitrogen baselines and define isotopic ranges of local terrestrial, avian and aquatic fauna. We also demonstrate the potential application of sulfur stable isotope analysis in archaeological research. The results demonstrate a clear distinction between δ13C and δ34S values of marine and terrestrial species, however, freshwater fish display notable overlaps with both marine and terrestrial ranges for both δ13C and δ34S values. Herbivores show variation in δ34S values when gr...

Strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are increasingly used as a provenance tool in multiple disciplines. Application to biological materials requires knowledge of the variation in bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr across the landscape, potentially in the form of an isoscape (a quantitative model of spatial isotopic variability). This paper summarizes and provides advice on our current understanding of the main concerns in creating and interpreting isoscapes of bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. Isoscape creation approaches include domain mapping, geostatistical contour mapping and machine learning, the last becoming more readily achievable with the availability of software packages. It is critically important to develop isoscapes at a resolution appropriate for addressing the research questions. Choice of sample materials depends on the research questions and availability: plants or fauna with small ranges are favoured, with some analytes (snails, soil leachates) posing challenges. Interpreting 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in biological tissues requires considering Sr metabolism and the timing of tissue formation, thus far underappreciated. The numerous sources of error involved in developing and applying isoscapes must be recognized to avoid over-interpreting data and spurious provenance precision. We hope this paper will help researchers investigating provenance, mobility, landscape use and migration to develop the most appropriate isoscapes for their purposes, and possible future use by others.

This study investigates the life histories of three burials discovered in 2015, close to San Vito al Tagliamento, northeastern Italy. Despite the poor preservation of the skeletal remains and the paucity of contextual archaeological information, by using a multi-proxy approach including osteological analysis, radiocarbon dating, and isotopic analyses (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and strontium isotopes), it has been possible to reconstruct the palaeomobility, dietary habits, and weaning patterns of the three individuals. Results place the burials in the early medieval period (most likely in the 8th c. AD), suggest a local origin for the individuals, with small-scale mobility patterns detected for two of them, and indicate a diet heavily reliant on C 4 terrestrial food sources. The isotopic evidence also suggests distinct weaning practices. This research highlights the potential of modern scientific techniques to yield significant insights into the lifeways of individuals from poorly preserved skeletal remains and partially investigated archaeological contexts. More particularly, this study contributes to a nuanced understanding of early medieval societal dynamics in northeastern Italy by reconstructing the bioarchaeological profiles of three individuals, who lived on the fringes of the early medieval landscape of Friuli during a period of deep economic and societal changes and whose stories were forgotten to history.

Barremian to early Turonian stages) seawater Sr-isotope stratigraphies; this has resulted in disparate interpretations of crustal production rates. We report on a detailed investigation of seawater Sr-isotope stratigraphy based on foraminifers and, where available, on inoceramid bivalves from 12 mid-Cretaceous Deep Sea Drilling Project and Ocean Drilling Program sections. The effects of diagenesis are assessed using scanning electron microscope observations and traceelemental analyses, but are best distinguished by comparing the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values of similarage samples from different sites. Strontiumisotope analyses compiled from 9 of 12 sites that have detailed age control define one band of common values. This band is used as a composite curve, which presumably represents seawater 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values. The composite curve shows a "trough" of markedly lower 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values in the Aptian and early Albian stages, higher but constant values for the middle Albian-Cenomanian stages, followed by a decrease in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values in the early Turonian. Variations between published mid-Cretaceous Sr-isotope records result from diagenetic alteration, analytical problems, and the diverse biostratigraphic approaches and assumptions used to estimate sample ages. When preexisting age data are made consistent, the composite record shows close similarities with data sets derived from measurements of macrofossils in land sections of Europe and North America. The interval of decreased 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values in the Aptian-Albian stages overlaps with the pulse of mid-plate volcanic activity that produced the Ontong Java, Manihiki, and Kerguelen Plateaus. The exact age and the shape of the trough, however, are consistent with increased spreading rates at oceanic ridges, given the existing data on the timing of mid-plate volcanic activity.

Sociopolitical structures and subsistence strategies varied across the islands (Torriani 1959) with human settlements ranging from arid to evergreen landscapes . The exploitation of marine resources occurred hand-in-hand with intensive pastoralism of sheep, goats and pig rearing as well as different levels of wheat and barley farming that adapted to the islands' diverse biogeography

The ZANBA data is then used to create a third machine learning map of Sardinia, which is tested against previously published empirical data. The three isoscapes show different levels of predictive accuracy, with more primary data points leading to more correct predictions. However, a densely sampled landscape did not create an isoscape that gave substantially more accurate predictions than a moderately densely sampled landscape when tested against primary data from outside the original sampling areas. Areas of an isoscape with low root mean squared error (RMSE), which is often interpreted as indicating accuracy, did not necessarily give more correct predictions. Finally, a machine learning isoscape of Sardinia that incorporates both new and previously published empirical data is presented.

The Kodjadermen-Gumelnița-Karonovo VI human group (KGK VI) reached its maximal extension around 4500 BC, covering a large area comprised between southern Ukraine and northern Greece. Afterward, its distribution gradually receded, before vanishing altogether at the end of the fifthearly fourth millenniums BC. This study seeks to investigate the role of individual mobility during this process by performing strontium isotopic analyses on the human remains found at Gumelnița, Romania. It provides 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values for 21 human tooth enamel samples from 17 different individuals, together with those of 60 plant samples from 20 different locations (15 in Romania and 5 in Bulgaria) that were used to create a bioavailable strontium (BASr) baseline of the region. To obtain reliable sex estimations, proteomic analysis of amelogenin of human tooth enamel were also performed on seven individuals. According to the results, four individuals, three females and one male, should be considered as non-local, and may have spent their childhood on the southern bank of the Danube River. These data suggest that individual mobility was particularly prevalent during the last centuries of the fifth millennium, when the KGK VI complex was undergoing a process of disintegration.

Strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are increasingly used as a provenance tool in multiple disciplines. Application to biological materials requires knowledge of the variation in bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr across the landscape, potentially in the form of an isoscape (a quantitative model of spatial isotopic variability). This paper summarizes and provides advice on our current understanding of the main concerns in creating and interpreting isoscapes of bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. Isoscape creation approaches include domain mapping, geostatistical contour mapping and machine learning, the last becoming more readily achievable with the availability of software packages. It is critically important to develop isoscapes at a resolution appropriate for addressing the research questions. Choice of sample materials depends on the research questions and availability: plants or fauna with small ranges are favoured, with some analytes (snails, soil leachates) posing challenges. Interpreting 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in biological tissues requires considering Sr metabolism and the timing of tissue formation, thus far underappreciated. The numerous sources of error involved in developing and applying isoscapes must be recognized to avoid over-interpreting data and spurious provenance precision. We hope this paper will help researchers investigating provenance, mobility, landscape use and migration to develop the most appropriate isoscapes for their purposes, and possible future use by others.

The use of coffins and jars as funerary receptacles was common across Southeast Asia. During the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries AD, cremation was the dominant mortuary tradition on the Angkorian plains, but in the Cardamom Mountains to the south, contemporaneous groups practised a unique burial tradition involving the deposition of un-cremated bone in exposed ceramic vessels and log coffins. The authors present the first geochemical analysis of individuals from this highland culture, specifically the site of Phnom Pel. The childhood diets of those interred in jars and coffins may have been sourced from different areas within the Cardamom Mountains, suggesting that the individuals came from discrete groups.

Cremation is a widespread funerary practice that aims to burn the body and create a new appearance of human remains. It has been interpreted as a ritual transition that includes a sequence of acts and processes aimed at commemorating the dead on an individual and collective scale. In the Near East, fire-induced manipulation or cremation was not a usual burial practice during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic. In this contribution, we present the geochemical (X-ray fluorescence), mineralogical (X-ray Diffraction) and spectroscopic (Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) analysis of bones from a Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (ca. 9000 yr cal BP) burial in Kharaysin site (Quneya, Zarqa) in northwest Jordan. We discuss the data obtained by the different analytical methods reviewing the state of the art of each analytical method to infer bone burning palaeotemperatures. Finally, it is demonstrated the burned character of the analysed bones, confirming the earliest presence of cremated human bones in a funerary context of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of the Near East in Kharaysin. This fact provides a new insight into the complexity and variability of burial customs within the Pre-Pottery Neolithic in Levant.

Strontium isotopes (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are increasingly used as a provenance tool in multiple disciplines. Application to biological materials requires knowledge of the variation in bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr across the landscape, potentially in the form of an isoscape (a quantitative model of spatial isotopic variability). This paper summarizes and provides advice on our current understanding of the main concerns in creating and interpreting isoscapes of bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. Isoscape creation approaches include domain mapping, geostatistical contour mapping and machine learning, the last becoming more readily achievable with the availability of software packages. It is critically important to develop isoscapes at a resolution appropriate for addressing the research questions. Choice of sample materials depends on the research questions and availability: plants or fauna with small ranges are favoured, with some analytes (snails, soil leachates) posing challenges. Interpreting 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in biological tissues requires considering Sr metabolism and the timing of tissue formation, thus far underappreciated. The numerous sources of error involved in developing and applying isoscapes must be recognized to avoid over-interpreting data and spurious provenance precision. We hope this paper will help researchers investigating provenance, mobility, landscape use and migration to develop the most appropriate isoscapes for their purposes, and possible future use by others.

We are grateful to Manfred Bietak and the CAENL Editorial Board for accepting this volume for publication in their series. Julia Budka would like to acknowledge the role of Chloë Ward in improving the written English of her contributions to this book and for taking over the task of organising the DiverseNile Seminars from September 2022. Chloë Ward was also responsible for improving the written English of all contributions by non-native authors in this volume after the peer-reviewing process. Julia Budka would furthermore like to thank Patrizia Heindl who helped with some of the editing of this publication. We are also grateful to the two anonymous reviewers and their productive feedback which helped to strengthen some of the arguments throughout this book. This volume was finalised in a difficult time for Sudan as a result of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. As much as we are delighted to offer a further contribution to the investigation of ancient Sudan, we are also deeply concerned about the risks the people and the cultural heritage of Sudan are facing. We fully support all our friends and colleagues in Sudan and would like to express our appreciation for their commitment to the preservation of the Sudanese cultural heritage in these extremely difficult times.

The origins of ceramic technology in the Oman Peninsula have a unique history in the context of ancient West Asia. Local pottery production in northern Oman and the United Arab Emirates is not documented until the early to mid-third millennium BC during the Early Bronze Age. This period was characterised by increasing sedentism

The archaeological site of Al-Qusais (Dubai, UAE) contains an extensive necropolis, including 267 simple graves and three communal graves, excavated at various times from 1974 to the present. 77 intact simple graves have been documented, providing an opportunity for chronological study as they have not been reused. According to the typology of the grave goods found, these graves date between the second and first millennium BC. Thanks to the first studies of absolute dating through bioapatite analysis, it has been possible to develop a proposal for chronological periodization, defining four chronological periods ranging from 1400 BC to 750 BC, among which similarities and differences are described in terms of funerary rites and the objects used in them.

We present bioavailable Sr data from plants, soils and waters from Central Greece. • Carbonate weathering appears to control the Sr isotope signatures of the proxies. • The applicability of the environmental proxies as baseline material is evaluated. • Statistical, bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ranges are defined for Greece and its provinces. • These can serve as reference baselines in human mobility studies.

We present bioavailable Sr data from plants, soils and waters from Central Greece. • Carbonate weathering appears to control the Sr isotope signatures of the proxies. • The applicability of the environmental proxies as baseline material is evaluated. • Statistical, bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ranges are defined for Greece and its provinces. • These can serve as reference baselines in human mobility studies.

Etruria contained one of the great early urban civilisations in the Italian peninsula during the first millennium BC, much studied from a cultural, humanities-based, perspective, but relatively little with scientific data, and rarely in combination. We have addressed the unusual location of twenty inhumations found in the sacred heart of the Etruscan city of Tarquinia, focusing on six of these as illustrative, contrasting with the typical contemporary cremations found in cemeteries on the edge of the city. The cultural evidence suggests that the six skeletons were also distinctive in their ritualization and memorialisation. Focusing on the six, as a representative sample, the scientific evidence of osteoarchaeology, isotopic compositions, and ancient DNA has established that these appear to show mobility, diversity and violence through an integrated bioarchaeological approach. The combination of multiple lines of evidence makes major strides towards a deeper understanding of the role of these extraordinary individuals in the life of the early city of Etruria.

Etruria contained one of the great early urban civilisations in the Italian peninsula during the first millennium BC, much studied from a cultural, humanities-based, perspective, but relatively little with scientific data, and rarely in combination. We have addressed the unusual location of twenty inhumations found in the sacred heart of the Etruscan city of Tarquinia, focusing on six of these as illustrative, contrasting with the typical contemporary cremations found in cemeteries on the edge of the city. The cultural evidence suggests that the six skeletons were also distinctive in their ritualization and memorialisation. Focusing on the six, as a representative sample, the scientific evidence of osteoarchaeology, isotopic compositions, and ancient DNA has established that these appear to show mobility, diversity and violence through an integrated bioarchaeological approach. The combination of multiple lines of evidence makes major strides towards a deeper understanding of the role of these extraordinary individuals in the life of the early city of Etruria.

The trajectories of human and object mobility in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC have long been a significant area of inquiry within prehistoric archaeology and over the past decade, aDNA and isotope analyses revealed a complex pattern of human migration, cultural admixture and exchange routes. While Northern Italy is clearly involved in this phenomenon, there remains a significant gap for the south of the country, generally considered peripheral to major exchange networks in this phase. Recently, two large cemeteries have been discovered in the hinterland of Mount Vesuvius (Acerra, Italy). They have yielded unprecedented numbers of exotic metal objects dating to 2400-1800 BC. Such items are extremely rare in Southern Italy, displaying typologies more commonly found across Northern Italy and Central Europe. Archaeological, bioanthropological and geochemical methods were applied to material from the cemeteries. Pb isotope analyses and metal artifact distribution modeling revealed long-distance terrestrial and maritime connections to Northern Italy, Continental Europe and the Western Mediterranean. Conversely, Sr isotope data indicate that these prestigious and exotic objects were deposited within a context of low human mobility. By integrating investigations into both metal and human mobility, this study emphasizes the extent and complexity of the exchange network in Southern Italy around 2000 BC.

This study contributes to reconstruct the socioeconomic dynamics of change at the Roman-Early Anglo-Saxon transition in Britain through zooarchaeological analysis. Contemporary assemblages from the nearby European mainland are used to provide a term of comparison. The results indicate that typical Roman husbandry practices survived into fourth century Britain: the animal economy focussed on cattle, livestock improvements, and surplus production, which allowed to feed the taxation cycle and to supply the army and town dwellers; on the other hand, the zooarchaeological evidence highlights substantial changes in the aims and scale of animal exploitation in the post-Roman period. Such discontinuity demonstrates the key role formerly played by the Roman state in shaping local animal economies and in integrating food production practices throughout the northwestern provinces. At the same time, the more generalized animal husbandry strategies of post-Roman settlements respond well to the needs of self-sufficient communities. Cattle decreased in size, as large, robust animals were no longer needed; on the other hand, the large size of sheep and other domesticates, improved in Roman times, benefitted Early Anglo-Saxon herders, and were often maintained. This evidence suggests that post-Roman communities did not simply cope with adverse economic conditions but reacted appropriately to the new circumstances.

This paper examines the history of excavations of cremated remains at Stonehenge, highlighting contributions from archaeologists William Hawley and Richard Atkinson, as well as the transformative Stonehenge Riverside Project. It details the locations of the cremated remains, evidence of their transportation in organic containers (e.g., leather bags), and isotopic analyses indicating origins in regions such as west Wales. By integrating recent research, particularly the 2018 and 2024 studies by Snoeck et al., this review underscores Stonehenge's role as a ceremonial hub, reflecting Neolithic interregional connectivity. It does not address the controversy surrounding the treatment of human remains at the site.

The identification of flax fibers in our study (1) is based on the morphology of the internal layers of fibers, exposed due to the chemical treatment applied for palinological sample preparation. This morphology is significantly different from the structure of the outer layers ...

The transition to agriculture was a transformative process in human history with demographic and social consequences that varied widely. However, its dynamics in South America remain understudied. The Uspallata Valley (UV), located within the southern frontier of Andean agriculture, provides a singular setting to explore how farming societies emerged and evolved. Here, we show that agriculture in UV was initially adopted by local hunter-gatherers, as evidenced by genetic continuity between pre-farming and farming populations inferred from 46 newly sequenced ancient human genomes. These groups carried a distinct genetic component within the American diversity, suggesting a unique population history. Following agricultural intensification, we identify the arrival of migrants from nearby regions into UV between ~810–700 cal years BP, shortly predating the Inka arrival. Genomic, isotopic, and kinship analyses indicate that these migrants had intensive maize diets and moved in family groups, likely organized around matrilineal ties. They show multiple signs of stress, including nutritional deficiencies and tuberculosis, confirmed by bacterial genome sequencing, and experienced a long-term demographic decline. We suggest that social organization and mobility were forms of resilience in response to intersecting stressors—subsistence dependency and specialization, environmental instability, and disease—within a broader socio-ecological crisis.

Strontium isotope ratios are widely used in archaeology to differentiate between local and non-local populations. Herein, strontium isotope ratios of 36 human tooth enamels from seven archaeological sites spanning the Early to Late Neolithic of northern Greece (7 th -5 th millennia B.C.E.) were analysed with the aim of providing new information relating to the movement of humans across the region. Local bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signals were established using tooth enamel from 26 domestic animals from the same Neolithic sites. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values of faunal samples correlate well with predicted strontium isotope ratios of the local geology. This is consistent with animal management occurring at a local level, although at Late Neolithic sites strontium isotope values became more varied, potentially indicating changing herding practices. The strontium isotope analysis of human tooth enamel likewise suggests limited population movement within the Neolithic of northern Greece. Almost all individuals sampled exhibited 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values consistent with having spent their early life (during the period of tooth mineralisation) in the local area, although movement could have occurred between isotopically homogeneous areas. The strontium isotope ratios of only three individuals lay outside of the local bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr range and these individuals are interpreted as having spent their early lives in a region with a more radiogenic biologically available 87 Sr/ 86 Sr. Mobility patterns determined using Sr isotope analysis supports the current evidence for movement and exchange observed through studies of pottery circulation. Suggesting limited movement in the Early and Middle Neolithic and greater movement in the Late Neolithic.

Delta blue intensity is a commonly used method to correct for the heartwood-sapwood color change in blue intensity (BI) measurements. It is based on the assumption that the heartwood-sapwood color change is similar in both earlywood and latewood. This assumption has not been supported physiologically. Furthermore, delta BI may confound the climate signals in earlywood and latewood BI as it is technically a linear combination of the other two. Here, instead of using delta BI, we used change point detection to identify the heartwood-sapwood transition, and corrected for the color change by rescaling the mean and variance of BI measurements after the transition to those immediately before. We tested three different change point detection methods and found that they agreed well with one another. Importantly, our approach preserves the climate signals in both earlywood and latewood BI data, while delta BI causes a total loss of climate signals in our test case. Therefore, we suggest that change point detection should be used instead of delta BI to account for the heartwood-sapwood color change.

Karst aquifers afford important ground water resource from highly productive zones. A methodology developed by CNRS and BRGM based on hydrodynamical and hydrogeochemical data from the main outlet of the karst systems, consists of analysing their behaviour in order to survey or to exploit the resource. Concerning coastal karst aquifers, that approach must be adapted, because of their submarine springs and of the risk of point sea water intrusion. The knowledge of the submarine discharge and their monitoring are the key points of the strategy for exploring and exploiting the resource. That situation is particularly relevant in Mediterranean regions because of the important variations of sea level, responsible of a karst development deeply below the present sea level. A preliminary study of a spring discharging in the Thau lagoon (southern France) gave the bases of an adapted methodology.

For the last 60 years, the Expedition to the Dead Sea Plain (EDSP) project has investigated the way people lived and died in the Early Bronze Age (EBA; c. 3800-2000 BCE) Southern Levant during the region's earliest urban society. EDSP excavations at two townsites, one village, and three cemeteries have contributed to understanding life before, during, and following urbanism. Recent research on these legacy excavations has focused on the Early Bronze Age IV (EB IV; 2400-2000 BCE) period of the post-urban village of Bâb adh-Dhrâà nd its associated cemetery, as well as the cemetery at Khirbat Khanazir, located c. 35 km to the south.

The city of Teotihuacan (AD 1–550) was a major multiethnic urban center that attracted migrants from as far away as west Mexico and the Maya region. Past research in the Tlajinga district at Teotihuacan using oxygen isotopes from human remains estimated that nearly 30% of the population of Tlajinga 33, a single apartment compound, were migrants. This study takes a dual-isotope approach (87Sr/86Sr and δ18Op) to reevaluate the proportion of in-migration at Tlajinga and includes data from two additional apartment compounds, Tlajinga 17 and 18 (n = 23). New results indicate that migrants comprised ~45% of the Tlajinga population. Previously acquired radiocarbon dates combined with mortuary and isotope data suggest that immigration to Tlajinga was highest during the first centuries of compound occupation. Nevertheless, migration was a continual process throughout its history. Additionally, a new finding suggests that residents of Tlajinga 33 ingested foods with higher 87Sr/86Sr ratios th...