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Löffelmann T, Snoeck C, Richards JD, Johnson LJ, Claeys P, Montgomery J. Sr analyses from only known Scandinavian cremation cemetery in Britain illuminate early Viking journey with horse and dog across the North Sea. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280589. [PMID: 36724154 PMCID: PMC9891522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The barrow cemetery at Heath Wood, Derbyshire, is the only known Viking cremation cemetery in the British Isles. It dates to the late ninth century and is associated with the over-wintering of the Viking Great Army at nearby Repton in AD 873-4. Only the cremated remains of three humans and of a few animals are still available for research. Using strontium content and isotope ratios of these three people and three animals-a horse, a dog and a possible pig-this paper investigates the individuals' residential origins. The results demonstrate that strontium isotope ratios of one of the adults and the non-adult are compatible with a local origin, while the other adult and all three animals are not. In conjunction with the archaeological context, the strontium isotope ratios indicate that these individuals most likely originated from the area of the Baltic Shield-and that they died soon after arrival in Britain. This discovery constitutes the first solid scientific evidence that Scandinavians crossed the North Sea with horses, dogs and other animals as early as the ninth century AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessi Löffelmann
- Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christophe Snoeck
- Department of Chemistry, Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Brussels, Belgium
- G-Time Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Art Sciences & Archaeology, Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julian D. Richards
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, The King’s Manor, Exhibition Square, York, United Kingdom
| | - Lucie J. Johnson
- Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Department of Chemistry, Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Janet Montgomery
- Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
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Strontium isotope analyses of archaeological cremated remains – new data and perspectives. Data Brief 2022; 42:108115. [PMID: 35496490 PMCID: PMC9038568 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cremated human remains are commonly found in the archaeological records, especially in Europe during the Metal Ages and the Roman period. Due to the high temperatures reached during cremation (up to 1000°C), most biological information locked in the isotopic composition of different tissues is heavily altered or even destroyed. The recent demonstration that strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) remain unaltered during cremation and are even very resistant to post-burial alterations (which is not the case in unburned bone), opened new possibility for palaeomobility studies of ancient populations that practice cremations as a funerary ritual. This paper summarizes strontium isotopic data produced over the last decade which is then deposited on the open-access platform IsoArcH (https://isoarch.eu/) for any interested parties to use. It is the first time isotopic data on cremated remains is introduced in this database, significantly extending its impact on the scientific community.
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Snoeck C, Schulting RJ, Brock F, Rodler AS, Van Ham-Meert A, Mattielli N, Ostapkowicz J. Testing Various Pre-treatments on Artificially Waterlogged and Pitch-Contaminated Wood for Strontium Isotope Analyses. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.589154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) are commonly used in archeological and forensic studies to assess if humans and fauna are local to the place they were found or not. This approach is largely unexplored for wooden artifacts recovered in archeological contexts, as wood – in the rare instances it does survive – is often poorly preserved. One of the most common ways wood is preserved is through the anoxic conditions found in waterlogged contexts. A more unusual form of preservation is through submergence in natural pitch. These depositional media contribute their own strontium values to the in vivo87Sr/86Sr wood values, which needs to be removed prior to analysis. Here we test several pre-treatment methods to remove potential strontium contamination from wood samples that were artificially immersed in seawater and pitch from Trinidad’s Pitch Lake. Water rinses and acid-leaching tests were carried out with hydrochloric acid and acetic acid to remove exogenous strontium from experimentally waterlogged wood. These tests removed large amounts of strontium from the samples and did not enable the recovery of the endogenous 87Sr/86Sr signal. For samples artificially immersed in pitch, the pre-treatments tested were based on radiocarbon dating procedures and carried out with and without the aqueous-based acid-base-acid (ABA) step. The use of organic solvents alone (methanol and toluene) removed exogenous strontium originating from the pitch. However, the ABA step eliminates large amounts of in vivo strontium from the samples. These tests show that 87Sr/86Sr values of wood are altered by the presence of pitch and water. With adequate pre-treatment using exclusively organic solvents, it may be possible to remove this contamination for samples immersed in pitch. However, the aqueous-based ABA pre-treatment should be avoided. The removal of contamination from waterlogged samples was unsuccessful with the current pre-treatment protocols and more research is needed. More importantly, and unexpectedly, 87Sr/86Sr values may extend outside of the mixing line between the wood’s endogenous strontium and the water. These results indicate the need for extreme caution when attempting to determine the provenance of waterlogged wood.
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Snoeck C, Ryan S, Pouncett J, Pellegrini M, Claeys P, Wainwright AN, Mattielli N, Lee-Thorp JA, Schulting RJ. Towards a biologically available strontium isotope baseline for Ireland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 712:136248. [PMID: 31945525 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Strontium isotopes are used in archaeology, ecology, forensics, and other disciplines to study the origin of artefacts, humans, animals and food items. Strontium in animal and human tissues such as bone and teeth originates from food and drink consumed during life, leaving an isotopic signal corresponding to their geographical origin (i.e. where the plants grew, the animals grazed and the drinking water passed through). To contextualise the measurements obtained directly on animal and human remains, it is necessary to have a sound baseline of the isotopic variation of biologically available strontium in the landscape. In general, plants represent the main source of strontium for humans and animals as they usually contain much higher strontium concentrations than animal products (meat and milk) or drinking water. The observed difference between the strontium isotope composition of geological bedrock, soils and plants from the same locality warrants direct measurement of plants to create a reliable baseline. Here we present the first baseline of the biologically available strontium isotope composition for the island of Ireland based on 228 measurements on plants from 140 distinct locations. The isoscape shows significant variation in strontium isotope composition between different areas of Ireland with values as low as 0.7067 for the basalt outcrops in County Antrim and values of up to 0.7164 in the Mourne Mountains. This variability confirms the potential for studying mobility and landscape use of past human and animal populations in Ireland. Furthermore, in some cases, large differences were observed between different types of plants from the same location, highlighting the need to measure more than one plant sample per location for the creation of BASr baselines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Snoeck
- Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK; G-Time Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, ULB, CP 160/02, 50, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Dept. of Art Sciences & Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, MARI-LW-VUB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Saskia Ryan
- Department of Geology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland; UMR 7209, Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements, CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne Universités, CP 56, 55 Rue Buffon, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - John Pouncett
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Maura Pellegrini
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK; Thermo Fisher Scientific Italy, Str. Rivoltana, Km 4, 20090 Rodano MI, Italy
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Research Unit: Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ashlea N Wainwright
- G-Time Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, ULB, CP 160/02, 50, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium; School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; School of Earth Science, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Nadine Mattielli
- G-Time Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, ULB, CP 160/02, 50, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julia A Lee-Thorp
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Rick J Schulting
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
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Fernández-Crespo T, Snoeck C, Ordoño J, de Winter NJ, Czermak A, Mattielli N, Lee-Thorp JA, Schulting RJ. Multi-isotope evidence for the emergence of cultural alterity in Late Neolithic Europe. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay2169. [PMID: 32010785 PMCID: PMC6976287 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay2169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The coexistence of cultural identities and their interaction is a fundamental topic of social sciences that is not easily addressed in prehistory. Differences in mortuary treatment can help approach this issue. Here, we present a multi-isotope study to track both diet and mobility through the life histories of 32 broadly coeval Late Neolithic individuals interred in caves and in megalithic graves of a restricted region of northern Iberia. The results show significant differences in infant- and child-rearing practices, in subsistence strategies, and in landscape use between burial locations. From this, we posit that the presence of communities with distinct lifestyles and cultural backgrounds is a primary reason for Late Neolithic variability in burial location in Western Europe and provides evidence of an early "them and us" scenario. We argue that this differentiation could have played a role in the building of lasting structures of socioeconomic inequality and, occasionally, violent conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Fernández-Crespo
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3TG, UK
| | - C. Snoeck
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- G-Time Laboratory, DGES, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP 160/02, 50, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - J. Ordoño
- Department of Archaeology and New Technologies, Arkikus, Pedro de Asúa 63, 01008 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - N. J. de Winter
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - A. Czermak
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3TG, UK
| | - N. Mattielli
- G-Time Laboratory, DGES, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP 160/02, 50, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - J. A. Lee-Thorp
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3TG, UK
| | - R. J. Schulting
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3TG, UK
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6
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Feasting and Mobility in Iron Age Ireland: Multi-isotope analysis reveals the vast catchment of Navan Fort, Ulster. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19792. [PMID: 31874966 PMCID: PMC6930251 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55671-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Navan Fort is an iconic prehistoric Irish ceremonial centre and the legendary capital of Ulster. The fort has produced an exceptional pig-dominated faunal assemblage that also contained a barbary macaque skull. Dating from the 4th to 1st century BC, it is likely to be a ceremonial feasting centre that may have drawn people and their animals from across Ulster and beyond. This study uses a multi-isotope (87Sr/86Sr, δ34S, δ13C, δ15N) approach to identify non-local animals and reconstruct site catchment. New biosphere mapping means that isotope data can be more confidently interpreted and the combination of strontium and sulphur analysis has the potential to estimate origins. In the absence of human remains, fauna provide the best proxy for human movement. Results for the 35 analysed animals are wide-ranging, especially in terms of strontium (0.707–0.715), which has the largest range for an Irish site. Sulphur values are more restricted (13.1‰−17.1‰) but are high in the context of British and Irish data. Results provide clear evidence for animals (and thus people) coming from across Ulster and beyond, demonstrating the site’s wide catchment. Navan Fort was clearly a major ceremonial centre with far-reaching influence and hosted feasts that drew people and animals from afar.
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Díaz-Martín RD, Ambrosio JR, Flores RM, Gonzáles-Pozos S, Valencia-Caballero L. Cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix proteins resist the burning of bones. Forensic Sci Int 2019; 305:110027. [PMID: 31704515 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.110027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Due the proteins from bone remains are highly resistant to pass of time and environmental conditions, they could tell us about the events that probably happened in the past. In the forensic and physical anthropology context, burnt bone remains are one of the most common pieces of recovered evidence and, generally, they are associated with funerary practices, criminal scenes or massive catastrophic events. In the present study, bone pieces of pigs were calcined at different calcination temperatures, and proteins were searched using biochemical, immunochemical and ultrastructure visualization under these experimentally conditions. For this purpose, it was successfully developed a non-demineralizing protein extraction method from burnt bone remains and the use of specific antibodies permitted the identification of different extracellular matrix and intracellular proteins. While collagen proteins type I and IV were identified and detected under middle and high calcination temperatures (300°C and 600°C); cytoskeletal proteins as actin, tubulin and, the microtubule associated protein Tau, were found under calcination process, even up high calcination temperatures. Under ultrastructural analysis, fibrous materials with a classical disposition of collagens were observed even at high calcination temperatures of the burnt bone remains. The protein identification and characterization in burnt bones as performed in present studies, is clearly demonstrating that using specific strategies for protein characterizations it is possible to found protein biomarkers in burnt bone remains and this strategy could be useful for forensic and anthropological purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Darío Díaz-Martín
- Departamento de Innovación en Material Biológico Humano (DIMBIH), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México; Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Javier R Ambrosio
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ricardo Mondragón Flores
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), México
| | | | - Lorena Valencia-Caballero
- Departamento de Innovación en Material Biológico Humano (DIMBIH), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México.
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Cavazzuti C, Skeates R, Millard AR, Nowell G, Peterkin J, Bernabò Brea M, Cardarelli A, Salzani L. Flows of people in villages and large centres in Bronze Age Italy through strontium and oxygen isotopes. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0209693. [PMID: 30625174 PMCID: PMC6326466 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigates to what extent Bronze Age societies in Northern Italy were permeable accepting and integrating non-local individuals, as well as importing a wide range of raw materials, commodities, and ideas from networks spanning continental Europe and the Mediterranean. During the second millennium BC, the communities of Northern Italy engaged in a progressive stabilization of settlements, culminating in the large polities of the end of the Middle/beginning of the Late Bronze Age pivoted around large defended centres (the Terramare). Although a wide range of exotic archaeological materials indicates that the inhabitants of the Po plain increasingly took part in the networks of Continental European and the Eastern Mediterranean, we should not overlook the fact that the dynamics of interaction were also extremely active on local and regional levels. Mobility patterns have been explored for three key-sites, spanning the Early to Late Bronze Age (1900-1100 BC), namely Sant'Eurosia, Casinalbo and Fondo Paviani, through strontium and oxygen isotope analysis on a large sample size (more than 100 individuals). The results, integrated with osteological and archaeological data, document for the first time in this area that movements of people occurred mostly within a territorial radius of 50 km, but also that larger nodes in the settlement system (such as Fondo Paviani) included individuals from more distant areas. This suggests that, from a demographic perspective, the process towards a more complex socio-political system in Bronze Age Northern Italy was triggered by a largely, but not completely, internal process, stemming from the dynamics of intra-polity networks and local/regional power relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Cavazzuti
- Durham University, Department of Archaeology, Durham, United Kingdom
- Istituto Centrale per la Demoetnoantropologia, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Robin Skeates
- Durham University, Department of Archaeology, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew R. Millard
- Durham University, Department of Archaeology, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey Nowell
- Durham University, Department of Earth Science, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne Peterkin
- Durham University, Department of Earth Science, Durham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andrea Cardarelli
- Università di Roma, ‘La Sapienza’, Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Antichità, Rome, Italy
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Snoeck C, Pouncett J, Claeys P, Goderis S, Mattielli N, Parker Pearson M, Willis C, Zazzo A, Lee-Thorp JA, Schulting RJ. Strontium isotope analysis on cremated human remains from Stonehenge support links with west Wales. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10790. [PMID: 30072719 PMCID: PMC6072783 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28969-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cremated human remains from Stonehenge provide direct evidence on the life of those few select individuals buried at this iconic Neolithic monument. The practice of cremation has, however, precluded the application of strontium isotope analysis of tooth enamel as the standard chemical approach to study their origin. New developments in strontium isotopic analysis of cremated bone reveal that at least 10 of the 25 cremated individuals analysed did not spend their lives on the Wessex chalk on which the monument is found. Combined with the archaeological evidence, we suggest that their most plausible origin lies in west Wales, the source of the bluestones erected in the early stage of the monument’s construction. These results emphasise the importance of inter-regional connections involving the movement of both materials and people in the construction and use of Stonehenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Snoeck
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1-2 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK. .,Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - John Pouncett
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1-2 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven Goderis
- Analytical, Environmental & Geo-Chemistry, Dept. of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AMGC-WE-VUB, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nadine Mattielli
- G-Time Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP 160/02, 50, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mike Parker Pearson
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, WC1H 0PY, London, UK
| | - Christie Willis
- Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, WC1H 0PY, London, UK
| | - Antoine Zazzo
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 7209 'Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements', Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, CP 56, 55 rue Buffon, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Julia A Lee-Thorp
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1-2 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Rick J Schulting
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 1-2 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
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Neil S, Montgomery J, Evans J, Cook GT, Scarre C. Land use and mobility during the Neolithic in Wales explored using isotope analysis of tooth enamel. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 164:371-393. [PMID: 28752654 PMCID: PMC5637938 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Objectives The nature of land use and mobility during the transition to agriculture has often been debated. Here, we use isotope analysis of tooth enamel from human populations buried in two different Neolithic burial monuments, Penywyrlod and Ty Isaf, in south‐east Wales, to examine patterns of land use and to evaluate where individuals obtained their childhood diet. Materials and Methods We employ strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analysis of enamel from adjacent molars. We compare strontium isotope values measured in enamel to locally bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr values. We combine discussion of these results with evaluation of new radiocarbon dates obtained from both sites. Results The majority of enamel samples from Penywyrlod have strontium isotope ratios above 0.7140. In contrast, the majority of those from Ty Isaf have 87Sr/86Sr values below 0.7140. At Penywyrlod oxygen isotope ratios range between 25.9 and 28.2 ‰ (mean 26.7 ± 0.6 ‰, 1σ, n = 15) and enamel δ13Ccarbonate values range between −18.0 and −15.0 ‰ (mean −16.0 ± 0.8 ‰, 1σ, n = 15). At Ty Isaf oxygen isotope ratios exhibited by Neolithic individuals range between 25.4 and 27.7 ‰ (mean 26.7 ± 0.6 ‰, 1σ, n = 15) and enamel δ13Ccarbonate values range between −16.9 and −14.9 ‰ (mean −16.0 ± 0.6 ‰, 1σ, n = 15). Discussion The strontium isotope results suggest that the majority of individuals buried at Penywyrlod did not source their childhood diet locally. One individual in this group has strontium isotope ratios that exceed all current known biosphere values within England and Wales. This individual is radiocarbon dated to the first few centuries of the 4th millennium BC, consistent with the period in which agriculture was initiated in Wales: the results therefore provide evidence for migration during the transition to farming in Wales. In contrast, all individuals sampled from Ty Isaf post‐date the period in which agriculture is considered to have been initiated and could have sourced their childhood diet from the local region in which they were buried.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Neil
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Janet Montgomery
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Evans
- NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon T Cook
- Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Scarre
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
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11
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Halperin CT. Anthropological Archaeology in 2016: Cooperation and Collaborations in Archaeological Research and Practice. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.12860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Stewart MC, Vercellotti G. Application of geographic information systems to investigating associations between social status and burial location in medieval Trino Vercellese (Piedmont, Italy). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 164:11-29. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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13
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Recent developments and trends in the application of strontium and its isotopes in biological related fields. Trends Analyt Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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