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Ammer ST, Routhledge N, Davies GR, van Asten AC, Verdegaal-Warmerdam SJ, Kootker LM. Enhancing the contemporary human and water isotope reference database for the Netherlands: New insights from Sr-O-C-N-H isotope data. iScience 2024; 27:109561. [PMID: 38644979 PMCID: PMC11026730 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The determination of an individual's geographic origin is an essential aspect of forensic investigations. When primary identifiers cannot be used to make a positive identification, isotope analysis can be utilized to provide new leads. Modern reference data are essential for accurate interpretation of human isotopic data in terms of diet and origin. This article presents Sr-O-C-N-H isotope data of modern individuals (hair, dental enamel, and dentine collagen) and drinking water from the Netherlands. The δ15N values of human hair fall within the range of values observed worldwide and cannot be utilized to differentiate from other countries. Distinct disparities in the hair δ13C are evident between European countries and other regions, making it possible to exclude the Netherlands as a region of origin. Comparing Dutch dental isotope data to those of other nations has proven difficult due to the limited availability of reference data. The same limitation applies to tap water δ2H data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia T.M. Ammer
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Science, Geology & Geochemistry Cluster, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nathan Routhledge
- Centre of Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Science Park 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, the Netherlands
| | - Gareth R. Davies
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Science, Geology & Geochemistry Cluster, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arian C. van Asten
- Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Centre of Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Science Park 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, the Netherlands
- Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, the Netherlands
| | - Suzan J.A. Verdegaal-Warmerdam
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Science, Geology & Geochemistry Cluster, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lisette M. Kootker
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Science, Geology & Geochemistry Cluster, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center (CLHC), Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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2
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Poschenrieder C, Scalenghe R. The unseen world beneath our feet: Heliyon soil science. Exploring the cutting-edge techniques and ambitious goals of modern soil science. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18778. [PMID: 37701409 PMCID: PMC10493421 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In the face of climate change, ecosystem destruction, desertification, and increasing food demand, soil conservation is crucial for ensuring the sustainability of life on Earth. The Soil Section of Heliyon aims to be a platform for basic and applied soil science research, emphasizing the central role of soils and their interactions with human activities. This editorial highlights recent research trends in soil science, including the evolving definition of soil, the multifunctionality of soils and their biodiversity, soil degradation and erosion, the role of soil microflora, advancements in soil mapping techniques, global change and the carbon cycle, soil health, the relationship between soil and buildings, and the importance of considering soil quality in land use planning and policies. The Heliyon Soil Science section seeks to publish scientifically accurate and valuable research that explores the diverse functions of soil and their significance in sustainable land-use systems.
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Gigante M, Mazzariol A, Bonetto J, Armaroli E, Cipriani A, Lugli F. Machine learning-based Sr isoscape of southern Sardinia: A tool for bio-geographic studies at the Phoenician-Punic site of Nora. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287787. [PMID: 37467179 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Since prehistoric times, the island of Sardinia-in the western Mediterranean-has played a leading role in the dynamics of human population and mobility, in the circulation of raw materials and artefacts, idioms and customs, of technologies and ideas that have enriched the biological, linguistic and cultural heritage of local groups. For the Phoenician and Punic periods (from the 9th to the 3rd centuries BCE), the ancient site of Nora-in southern Sardinia-represents an emblematic case in the study of migratory phenomena that occurred on the Island from the Iron Age until the Roman conquest. Despite the importance of exploring (and characterising) such movements from a wider bio-cultural perspective, the application of bio-geochemical tools for geographical provenance to the ancient skeletal populations of Sardinia is yet scarce. The present work is the first step towards filling this gap with the development of the first isoscape of southern Sardinia using new bioavailable Sr isotope data and a machine-learning approach. From a geolithological point of view, Sardinia is rather heterogeneous and requires detailed studies to correctly assess the distribution of the isotopic signature of bioavailable Sr. The random forest model employed here to construct the Sr isoscape uses several external environmental and geological variables. The most important predictors are related to age and bedrock type, with additional input from local soil properties. A 10-fold cross-validation gives a mean square error of 0.0008 and an R-squared of 0.81, so the model correctly predicts the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of unknown areas. By using a Bayesian provenance assignment workflow, we tested the isoscape here produced to determine the geographic origin and the mobility of archaeological and modern fauna collected from the Phoenician-Punic site of Nora and the surrounding Pula Plain. Our results indicate that archaeological sheep and goats (87Sr/86Sr < 0.7090) are compatible with areas close to Nora and Pula Plain, in agreement with archaeological evidence of pastoralism in those areas. Modern wild and domesticated fauna (87Sr/86Sr > 0.7090) show compatibility with several natural and anthropogenic locations in southern Sardinia, as expected based on modern species distribution data. Finally, we discuss the large Sr isotopic variability of the Nora baseline, where human mobility studies of human cremated and inhumed individuals are currently underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melania Gigante
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Jacopo Bonetto
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Elena Armaroli
- Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Anna Cipriani
- Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York, United States of America
| | - Federico Lugli
- Department of Chemical and Geological Science, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
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4
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Göhring A, Hölzl S, Mayr C, Strauss H. Multi-isotope fingerprints of recent environmental samples from the Baltic coast and their implications for bioarchaeological studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 874:162513. [PMID: 36870494 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Stable isotopes in coastal regions are influenced by the so-called sea spray effect which masks the actual terrestrial isotope fingerprint with a marine isotope signal. The sea spray impact on plants was investigated by analyzing different stable isotope systems (δ13Ccellulose, δ18Ocellulose, δ18Osulfate, δ34Ssulfate, δ34Stotal S, δ34Sorganic S, 87Sr/86Sr) in recent environmental samples (plants, soil, water) collected close to the Baltic Sea. All these isotopic systems are influenced by the sea spray, either by the uptake of ions (HCO3-, SO42-, Sr2+) of marine origin, thus exhibiting a marine isotopic signature, or by biochemical reactions associated with, e.g., salinity stress. A shift towards seawater values is observed for δ18Osulfate, δ34S, and 87Sr/86Sr. Cellulose becomes enriched in 13C and 18O due to sea spray, further enhanced (δ13Ccellulose) or mitigated (δ18Ocellulose) by salinity stress. The effect differs both regionally and seasonally, probably as a result of, e.g., differences in wind strength or prevailing wind direction, as well as between plants collected only few meters apart, in either the open field or at more wind-protected sites, reflecting samples more or less influenced by sea spray. The stable isotope data of recent environmental samples are compared to previously analyzed archaeological bone samples of animals from the Viking Haithabu and Early Medieval Schleswig sites located close to the Baltic Sea. Potential regions of origin can be predicted based on the magnitude of the (recent) local sea spray effect. This enables the identification of probably non-local individuals. The insights into sea spray mechanisms, biochemical reactions in plants, as well as seasonal, regional, and small-scale differences in stable isotope data will help to interpret multi-isotope fingerprints at coastal sites. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of environmental samples for bioarchaeological studies. Moreover, the detected seasonal and small-scale differences require adjusted sampling strategies for, e.g., isotopic baselines in coastal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Göhring
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Faculty of Biology, Department of Biology I, Anthropology and Human Genomics, Großhaderner Straße 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Stefan Hölzl
- RiesKraterMuseum Nördlingen, Eugene-Shoemaker-Platz 1, 86720 Nördlingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Mayr
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute of Geography, Wetterkreuz 15, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, GeoBio-Center, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Harald Strauss
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Corrensstr. 24, 48149 Münster, Germany
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Le Corre M, Grimes V, Lam R, Britton K. Comparison between strip sampling and laser ablation methods to infer seasonal movements from intra-tooth strontium isotopes profiles in migratory caribou. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3621. [PMID: 36869076 PMCID: PMC9984400 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30222-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Strontium isotopes analysis is a powerful tool in the study of past animal movements, notably the sequential analysis of tooth enamel to reconstruct individual movements in a time-series. Compared to traditional solution analysis, high resolution sampling using laser-ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) has the potential to reflect fine scale mobility. However, the averaging of the 87Sr/86Sr intake during the enamel mineralization process may limit fine scale inferences. We compared solution and LA-MC-ICP-MS 87Sr/86Sr intra-tooth profiles from the second and third molars of 5 caribou from the Western Arctic herd, Alaska. Profiles from both methods showed similar trends, reflecting the seasonal migratory movements, but LA-MC-ICP-MS profiles showed a less damped 87Sr/86Sr signal than solution profiles. Geographic assignments of the profile endmembers to the known summer and winter ranges were consistent between methods and with the expected timing of enamel formation but showed discrepancy at a finer scale. Variations on LA-MC-ICP-MS profiles, consistent with expected seasonal movements, suggested more than an admixture of the endmember values. However, more work in understanding enamel formation in Rangifer, and other ungulates, and how 87Sr/86Sr daily intake translates into enamel are needed to assess the real resolution that can be achieved with LA-MC-ICP-MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mael Le Corre
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB252SU, UK.
| | - Vaughan Grimes
- Department of Archaeology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
- Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Rebecca Lam
- CREAIT Network, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Kate Britton
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB252SU, UK.
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6
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Choi HB, Shin WJ, Liu HC, Chen YH, Hsieh JY, Lee KS. Stable strontium isotope fractionation in hydroponically grown mung and soy bean sprouts. J Food Compost Anal 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2022.105081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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7
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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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8
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Dalle S, Snoeck C, Sengeløv A, Salesse K, Hlad M, Annaert R, Boonants T, Boudin M, Capuzzo G, Gerritzen CT, Goderis S, Sabaux C, Stamataki E, Vercauteren M, Veselka B, Warmenbol E, De Mulder G. Strontium isotopes and concentrations in cremated bones suggest an increased salt consumption in Gallo-Roman diet. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9280. [PMID: 35660749 PMCID: PMC9166795 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12880-4] [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: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The high temperatures reached during cremation lead to the destruction of organic matter preventing the use of traditional isotopic methods for dietary reconstructions. Still, strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) and concentration ([Sr]) analyses of cremated human remains offer a novel way to assess changing consumption patterns in past populations that practiced cremation, as evidenced by a large amount of new data obtained from Metal Ages and Gallo-Roman human remains from Destelbergen, Belgium. The Gallo-Roman results show significantly higher [Sr] and a narrower interquartile range in 87Sr/86Sr (0.7093–0.7095), close to the value of modern-day seawater (0.7092). This contrasts with the Metal Ages results, which display lower concentrations and a wider range in 87Sr/86Sr (0.7094–0.7098). This typical Sr signature is also reflected in other sites and is most likely related to an introduction of marine Sr in the form of salt as a food preservative (e.g. salt-rich preserved meat, fish and fish sauce). Paradoxically, this study highlights caution is needed when using 87Sr/86Sr for palaeomobility studies in populations with high salt consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Dalle
- Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. .,Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Christophe Snoeck
- Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,G-Time Laboratory, Department of Geosciences, Environment and Society (DGES), Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP160/02, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Amanda Sengeløv
- Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.,Anthropology and Human Genetics, Department of Biology of Organisms and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP192, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kevin Salesse
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marta Hlad
- Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Anthropology and Human Genetics, Department of Biology of Organisms and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP192, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rica Annaert
- Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Flemish Heritage Agency, Havenlaan 88/5, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tom Boonants
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Boudin
- Radiocarbon Dating Lab, Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage, Jubelpark 1, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Giacomo Capuzzo
- Anthropology and Human Genetics, Department of Biology of Organisms and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP192, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Carina T Gerritzen
- Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven Goderis
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Sabaux
- Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.,Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Anthropology and Human Genetics, Department of Biology of Organisms and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP192, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elisavet Stamataki
- Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Anthropology and Human Genetics, Department of Biology of Organisms and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP192, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Martine Vercauteren
- Anthropology and Human Genetics, Department of Biology of Organisms and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP192, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Barbara Veselka
- Maritime Cultures Research Institute, Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Eugène Warmenbol
- Centre de Recherches en Archéologie Et Patrimoine, Department of History, Arts, and Archaeology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP133, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guy De Mulder
- Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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Frei R, Frank AB, Frei KM. The proper choice of proxies for relevant strontium isotope baselines used for provenance and mobility studies in glaciated terranes - Important messages from Denmark. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 821:153394. [PMID: 35093367 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Strontium (Sr) isotope based provenance and mobility studies of ancient humans and animals necessitate representative isoscapes/baselines. However, regions/terranes that were shaped and affected by glaciers during the last Ice Ages and are covered by glaciogenic sediments present a challenge with regards to the choice of suitable surface proxy archives. Recent studies proposed that only 87Sr/86Sr signatures from pristine areas are relevant for this purpose. To test this theory, 160 new Sr concentrations [Sr] and 87Sr/86Sr signatures composed from ~960 subsamples of soil leachates and plants, complemented with 55 surface waters from agriculturally unaffected pristine forest sites from all over Denmark (island of Bornholm excluded) were analyzed. The results reveal that average 87Sr/86Sr signatures of all three proxies (plants: 0.7115 ± 0.0025; 2σ, n = 162; soil leachates: 0.7118 ± 0.0037; 2σ; n = 161, surface waters: 0.7104 ± 0.0030; 2σ, n = 55) are elevated compared to larger water bodies (creeks, rivers, lakes). In mixing diagrams, the data converge in a shared high [Sr] low 87Sr/86Sr endmember, which points to either remnant natural carbonates and/or organic components retaining carbonate Sr in the studied Podzols/Luvisols. The indications for more abundant carbonates in the past, compared to today's acid leached soils, implies that 87Sr/86Sr values measured from pristine forest locations and heathlands do not adequately reflect the biosphere compositions that prevailed ~12,000-2000 thousand years ago. Consequently, pristine forests in Denmark seem to be unsuitable proxy archive environments for constructing Sr isotope baselines for determining the provenance and mobility of ancient humans and animals. Hence, 87Sr/86Sr values measured in these pristine areas are non-representative and inadequate, and their use will lead to wrong interpretations. Finally, our study sheds light on the complexity of defining relevant and representative isoscapes/baselines in significantly changing environments and areas where the surface biosphere conditions do not necessary reflect the underlying geology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Frei
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Anja B Frank
- Department of Research, Collections and Conservation, Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, National Museum of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
| | - Karin M Frei
- Department of Research, Collections and Conservation, Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, National Museum of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
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10
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A bioavailable strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isoscape for Aotearoa New Zealand: Implications for food forensics and biosecurity. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264458. [PMID: 35294466 PMCID: PMC8926269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
As people, animals and materials are transported across increasingly large distances in a globalized world, threats to our biosecurity and food security are rising. Aotearoa New Zealand is an island nation with many endemic species, a strong local agricultural industry, and a need to protect these from pest threats, as well as the economy from fraudulent commodities. Mitigation of such threats is much more effective if their origins and pathways for entry are understood. We propose that this may be addressed in Aotearoa using strontium isotope analysis of both pests and products. Bioavailable radiogenic isotopes of strontium are ubiquitous markers of provenance that are increasingly used to trace the origin of animals and plants as well as products, but currently a baseline map across Aotearoa is lacking, preventing use of this technique. Here, we have improved an existing methodology to develop a regional bioavailable strontium isoscape using the best available geospatial datasets for Aotearoa. The isoscape explains 53% of the variation (R2 = 0.53 and RMSE = 0.00098) across the region, for which the primary drivers are the underlying geology, soil pH, and aerosol deposition (dust and sea salt). We tested the potential of this model to determine the origin of cow milk produced across Aotearoa. Predictions for cow milk (n = 33) highlighted all potential origin locations that share similar 87Sr/86Sr values, with the closest predictions averaging 7.05 km away from their true place of origin. These results demonstrate that this bioavailable strontium isoscape is effective for tracing locally produced agricultural products in Aotearoa. Accordingly, it could be used to certify the origin of Aotearoa’s products, while also helping to determine if new pest detections were of locally breeding populations or not, or to raise awareness of imported illegal agricultural products.
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11
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Ladegaard-Pedersen P, Sabatini S, Frei R, Kristiansen K, Frei KM. Testing Late Bronze Age mobility in southern Sweden in the light of a new multi-proxy strontium isotope baseline of Scania. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250279. [PMID: 33882110 PMCID: PMC8059841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bronze Age of Sweden’s southernmost region, Scania, is complex and intriguing. One could say that Scania represented in many ways a gateway for people, ideas and material culture connecting continental Europe with Sweden. Shedding light on the dynamics of human mobility in this region requires an in depth understanding of the local archaeological contexts across time. In this study, we present new archaeological human data from the Late Bronze Age Simris II site, located in an area of Scania showing a dynamic environment throughout the Late Bronze Age, thus likely involving various forms of mobility. Because the characterization of solid strontium isotope baselines is vital for delineating human mobility in prehistory using the strontium isotope methodology, we introduce the first environmentally based multi-proxy (surface water-, plant- and soil leachates) strontium isotope baselines for sub-regions of Scania. Our results show, that the highly complex and spatially scattered lithologies characterising Scania does not allow for a spatially meaningful, geology-based grouping of multi-proxy data that could be beneficial for provenance studies. Instead, we propose sub-regional baselines for areas that don’t necessarily fully correspond and reflect the immediate distribution of bedrock lithologies. Rather than working with a Scania-wide multi-proxy baseline, which we define as 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7133 ± 0.0059 (n = 102, 2σ), we propose sub-regional, multi-proxy baselines as follows: Area 1, farthest to the north, by 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7184 ± 0.0061 (n = 16, 2σ); Area 2, comprising the mid and western part of Scania, with 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7140 ± 0.0043 (n = 48, 2σ); Area 3–4, roughly corresponding to a NW-SE trending zone dominated by horst-graben tectonics across Scania, plus the carbonate dominated south western part of Scania with 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7110 ± 0.0030 (n = 39, 2σ). Our results also reflect that the complexity of the geology of Scania requires systematic, high density, statistically sound sampling of multiple proxies to adequately constrain the baseline ranges, particularly of those areas dominated by Precambrian lithologies. The averaging effect of biosphere Sr in surface water might be beneficial for the characterization of baselines in such terranes. Our sub-regional, area-specific baselines allow for a first comparison of different baseline construction strategies (single-proxy versus multi-proxy; Scania-wide versus sub-regional). From the Late Bronze Age Simris II site, we identified six individuals that could be analysed for Sr isotopes, to allow for an interpretation of their provenance using the newly established, environmental strontium isotope baselines. All but one signature agrees with the local baselines, including the 87Sr/86Sr value we measured for a young individual buried in a house urn, typically interpreted as evidence for long distance contacts. The results are somewhat unexpected and provides new aspects into the complexity of Scandinavian Bronze Age societies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Serena Sabatini
- Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Robert Frei
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Kristiansen
- Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Globe Institute, Lundbeck Foundation, GeoGenetics Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark
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12
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Washburn E, Nesbitt J, Ibarra B, Fehren-Schmitz L, Oelze VM. A strontium isoscape for the Conchucos region of highland Peru and its application to Andean archaeology. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248209. [PMID: 33784347 PMCID: PMC8009355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of human skeletal remains is an important method in archaeology to examine past human mobility and landscape use. 87Sr/86Sr signatures of a given location are largely determined by the underlying bedrock, and these geology specific isotope signatures are incorporated into skeletal tissue through food and water, often permitting the differentiation of local and non-local individuals in past human populations. This study presents the results of a systematic survey of modern flora and fauna (n = 100) from 14 locations to map the bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr signatures of the Conchucos region, an area where the extent of geologic variability was previously unknown. We illustrate the necessity to examine the variation in 87Sr/86Sr values of the different geological formations available to human land use to document the range of possible local 87Sr/86Sr values. Within the Conchucos region we found significant variation in environmental 87Sr/86Sr values (0.7078–0.7214). The resulting isoscape represents the largest regionally specific bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr map (3,840 km2) to date for the Andes, and will serve as a baseline for future archaeological studies of human mobility in this part of the Peruvian highlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden Washburn
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jason Nesbitt
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Bebel Ibarra
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Lars Fehren-Schmitz
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Vicky M. Oelze
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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13
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Barberena R, Cardillo M, Lucero G, le Roux PJ, Tessone A, Llano C, Gasco A, Marsh EJ, Nuevo-Delaunay A, Novellino P, Frigolé C, Winocur D, Benítez A, Cornejo L, Falabella F, Sanhueza L, Santana Sagredo F, Troncoso A, Cortegoso V, Durán VA, Méndez C. Bioavailable Strontium, Human Paleogeography, and Migrations in the Southern Andes: A Machine Learning and GIS Approach. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.584325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Andes are a unique geological and biogeographic feature of South America. From the perspective of human geography, this mountain range provides ready access to highly diverse altitudinally arranged ecosystems. The combination of a geologically and ecologically diverse landscape provides an exceptional context to explore the potential of strontium isotopes to track the movements of people and the conveyance of material culture. Here we develop an isotopic landscape of bioavailable strontium (87Sr/86Sr) that is applied to reconstruct human paleogeography across time in the southern Andes of Argentina and Chile (31°–34°S). These results come from a macro-regional sampling of rodents (N = 65) and plants (N = 26) from modern and archeological contexts. This “Southern Andean Strontium Transect” extends over 350 km across the Andes, encompassing the main geological provinces between the Pacific coast (Chile) and the eastern lowlands (Argentina). We follow a recently developed approach to isoscape construction based on Random Forest regression and GIS analysis. Our results suggest that bioavailable strontium is tightly linked with bedrock geology and offers a highly resolved proxy to track human paleogeography involving the levels of territories or daily mobility and anomalous events that disrupt home ranges, such as migration. The southern Andes provide an ideal geological setting to develop this approach, since the geological variation in rock age and composition produces distinctive isotopic signatures for each main biogeographical region. Finally, we apply this framework to a set of results from human remains from the Uspallata Valley in Mendoza (Argentina), to assess the incidence of migration in the key period of the consolidation of agropastoral economies between AD 800 and 1400. The application of the isoscape to the values from human remains confirms the persistence of human groups with relatively restricted territories encompassing Uspallata and the adjacent Precordillera between AD 800 and 1500. We also identify a pulse of human migration between AD 1280 and 1420, shortly preceding the Inka conquest. Looking forward, we expect to converge with ongoing efforts in South America to build a continental research framework to track the movement of people, animals, and artifacts across space and time.
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Wang X, Roberts P, Tang Z, Yang S, Storozum M, Groß M, Fernandes R. The Circulation of Ancient Animal Resources Across the Yellow River Basin: A Preliminary Bayesian Re-evaluation of Sr Isotope Data From the Early Neolithic to the Western Zhou Dynasty. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.583301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many questions still remain regarding the acquisition and circulation of ancient domesticated animals across the Yellow River Basin, one of the key areas for the development of complex societies in ancient China. Here, we re-evaluate previously published strontium isotope data (87Sr/86Sr, n = 167) from tooth enamel of domesticated animals at 10 archaeological sites in the Yellow River Basin to shed new light on the transition between the Neolithic (7000–5000 BCE) and the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BCE). The results show that from the Late Neolithic to the Western Zhou Dynasty, some domesticated animals, mostly cattle and sheep, were increasingly sourced from non-local areas. We employed Bayesian methods to define an isoscape of bioavailable Sr for the Yellow River Basin and to show the considerable diversity in the origins of non-local domesticated animals, some of which may have come from locations hundreds of kilometers away from the site as early as the Late Neolithic. The increasingly variable 87Sr/86Sr ratios of domesticated animals from the Neolithic to the Western Zhou Dynasty are consistent with that of associated human remains, and also match the archaeological and zooarchaeological evidence for increased circulation of animal products in the Yellow River Basin. Therefore, we infer that local economies increasingly incorporated non-local animals as part of wider circulation networks that emerged with the development of complex societies since the Late Neolithic.
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15
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Early Holocene Scandinavian foragers on a journey to affluence: Mesolithic fish exploitation, seasonal abundance and storage investigated through strontium isotope ratios by laser ablation (LA-MC-ICP-MS). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245222. [PMID: 33471822 PMCID: PMC7817046 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
At Norje Sunnansund, an Early Holocene settlement in southern Sweden, the world’s earliest evidence of fermentation has been interpreted as a method of managing long-term and large-scale food surplus. While an advanced fishery is suggested by the number of recovered fish bones, until now it has not been possible to identify the origin of the fish, or whether and how their seasonal migration was exploited. We analysed strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in 16 cyprinid and 8 pike teeth, which were recovered at the site, both from within the fermentation pit and from different areas outside of it, by using laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our investigation indicates three different regions of origin for the fish at the site. We find that the most commonly fermented fish, cyprinids (roach), were caught in the autumn during their seasonal migration from the Baltic Sea to the sheltered stream and lake next to the site. This is in contrast to the cyprinids from other areas of the site, which were caught when migrating from nearby estuaries and the Baltic Sea coast during late spring. The pikes from the fermentation pit were caught in the autumn as by-catch to the mainly targeted roach while moving from the nearby Baltic Sea coast. Lastly, the pikes from outside the fermentation pit were likely caught as they migrated from nearby waters in sedimentary bedrock areas to the south of the site, to spawn in early spring. Combined, these data suggest an advanced fishery with the ability to combine optimal use of seasonal fish abundance at different times of the year. Our results offer insights into the practice of delayed-return consumption patterns, provide a more complete view of the storage system used, and increase our understanding of Early Holocene sedentism among northern hunter-fisher-gatherers. By applying advanced strontium isotope analyses to archaeological material integrated into an ecological setting, we present a methodology that can be used elsewhere to enhance our understanding of the otherwise elusive indications of storage practices and fish exploitation patterns among ancient foraging societies.
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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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Millard AR, Annis RG, Caffell AC, Dodd LL, Fischer R, Gerrard CM, Graves CP, Hendy J, Mackenzie L, Montgomery J, Nowell GM, Radini A, Beaumont J, Koon HEC, Speller CF. Scottish soldiers from the Battle of Dunbar 1650: A prosopographical approach to a skeletal assemblage. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243369. [PMID: 33347451 PMCID: PMC7751964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
After the Battle Dunbar between English and Scottish forces in 1650, captured Scottish soldiers were imprisoned in Durham and many hundreds died there within a few weeks. The partial skeletal remains of 28 of these men were discovered in 2013. Building on previous osteological work, here we report wide-ranging scientific studies of the remains to address the following questions: Did they have comparable diet, health and disease throughout their lives? Did they have common histories of movement (or lack of movement) during their childhoods? Can we create a collective biography of these men? Strontium and oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel investigated childhood movement. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of incrementally sampled dentine addressed childhood diet and nutrition. Metaproteomic analysis of dental calculus investigated oral microbiomes and food residues; this was complemented by microscopic analysis of debris in calculus from ingested materials. Selected individuals were examined for dental microwear. The extent of hydroxylation of proline in collagen was examined as a potential biomarker for scurvy. An osteobiography for each man was created using the full range of data generated about him, and these were synthesised using an approach based on the historical method for a collective biography or prosopography. The childhood residences of the men were primarily within the Midland Valley of Scotland, though some spent parts of their childhood outside the British Isles. This is concordant with the known recruitment areas of the Scottish army in 1650. Their diets included oats, brassicas and milk but little seafood, as expected for lowland rather than highland diets of the period. Childhood periods of starvation or illness were almost ubiquitous, but not simultaneous, suggesting regionally variable food shortages in the 1620s and 1630s. It is likely there was widespread low-level scurvy, ameliorating in later years of life, which suggests historically unrecorded shortages of fruit and vegetables in the early 1640s. Almost all men were exposed to burnt plant matter, probably as inhaled soot, and this may relate to the high proportion of them with of sinusitis. Interpersonal violence causing skeletal trauma was rare. Based on commonalities in their osteobiographies, we argue that these men were drawn from the same stratum of society. This study is perhaps the most extensive to date of individuals from 17th century Scotland. Combined with a precise historical context it allows the lives of these men to be investigated and compared to the historical record with unprecedented precision. It illustrates the power of archaeological science methods to confirm, challenge and complement historical evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Millard
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Richard G. Annis
- Archaeological Services, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Anwen C. Caffell
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Laura L. Dodd
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
- KDK Archaeology Ltd, Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom
| | - Roman Fischer
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - C. Pamela Graves
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Hendy
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Mackenzie
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Janet Montgomery
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff M. Nowell
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Anita Radini
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Beaumont
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah E. C. Koon
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
| | - Camilla F. Speller
- Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Britton K, Le Corre M, Willmes M, Moffat I, Grün R, Mannino MA, Woodward S, Jaouen K. Sampling Plants and Malacofauna in 87Sr/86Sr Bioavailability Studies: Implications for Isoscape Mapping and Reconstructing of Past Mobility Patterns. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.579473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) geographical variability is a key component of any study that seeks to utilize strontium isotopes as tracers of provenance or mobility. Although lithological maps can provide a guideline, estimations of bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr are often necessary, both in qualitative estimates of local strontium isotope “catchments” and for informing/refining isoscape models. Local soils, plants and/or animal remains are commonly included in bioavailability studies, although consensus on what (and how extensively) to sample is lacking. In this study, 96 biological samples (plants and snails) were collected at 17 locations spanning 6 lithological units, within a region of south-west France and an area with a high concentration of Paleolithic archaeological sites. Sampling sites aligned with those from a previous study on soil bioavailable strontium, and comparison with these values, and the influence of environmental and anthropogenic variables, was explored. Data confirm a broad correspondence of plant and snail 87Sr/86Sr values with lithological unit/soil values, although the correlation between expected 87Sr/86Sr values from lithology and bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr ratios from biological samples was higher for plants than for snails. Grass, shrub and tree 87Sr/86Sr values were similar but grasses had a stronger relationship with topsoil values than trees, reflecting differences in root architecture. Variability in 87Sr/86Sr ratios from all plant samples was lower for sites located on homogeneous geological substrates than for those on heterogeneous substrates, such as granite. Among environmental and anthropogenic variables, only an effect of proximity to water was detected, with increased 87Sr/86Sr values in plants from sites close to rivers originating from radiogenic bedrock. The results highlight the importance of analyzing biological samples to complement, inform and refine strontium isoscape models. The sampling of plants rather than snails is recommended, including plants of varying root depth, and (if sample size is a limitation) to collect a greater number of samples from areas with heterogeneous geological substrates to improve the characterizations of those regions. Finally, we call for new experimental studies on the mineralized tissues of grazers, browsers, frugivores and/or tree leaf feeders to explore the influence of 87Sr/86Sr variability with soil profile/root architecture on 87Sr/86Sr values of locally-feeding fauna.
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Toncala A, Trautmann B, Velte M, Kropf E, McGlynn G, Peters J, Harbeck M. On the premises of mixing models to define local bioavailable 87Sr/ 86Sr ranges in archaeological contexts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 745:140902. [PMID: 32717600 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In archaeological mobility studies, non-local humans and animals can be identified by means of stable strontium isotope analysis. However, defining the range of local 87Sr/86Sr ratios is prerequisite. To achieve this goal, proxy-based mixing models have recently been proposed using 87Sr/86Sr ratios measured in modern local vegetation, water and soil samples. Our study complements earlier efforts by introducing archaeological animal bones as an additional proxy. We then evaluate the different modelling approaches by contrasting proxy-results generated for the county of Erding (Upper Bavaria, Germany) with a comprehensive set of strontium measurements obtained from tooth enamel of late antique and early medieval human individuals (n = 49) from the same micro-region. We conclude that current mixing models based on environmental proxies clearly underestimate the locally bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr ratios due to the limited sample size of modern environmental specimens and a suit of imponderables inherent to efforts modelling complex geobiological processes. In sum, currently available mixing models are deemed inadequate and can therefore not be recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Toncala
- SNSB, State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Karolinenplatz 2a, 80333 Munich, Germany.
| | - Bernd Trautmann
- SNSB, State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Karolinenplatz 2a, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Maren Velte
- SNSB, State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Karolinenplatz 2a, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Eva Kropf
- SNSB, State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Karolinenplatz 2a, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - George McGlynn
- SNSB, State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Karolinenplatz 2a, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Joris Peters
- SNSB, State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Karolinenplatz 2a, 80333 Munich, Germany; Department of Veterinary Sciences, Institute of Paleoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Kaulbachstr. 37 III, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Michaela Harbeck
- SNSB, State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Karolinenplatz 2a, 80333 Munich, Germany
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New evidence on the earliest domesticated animals and possible small-scale husbandry in Atlantic NW Europe. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20083. [PMID: 33208792 PMCID: PMC7676240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77002-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The distribution of the first domesticated animals and crops along the coastal area of Atlantic NW Europe, which triggered the transition from a hunter-gatherer-fisher to a farmer-herder economy, has been debated for many decades among archaeologists. While some advocate a gradual transition in which indigenous hunter-gatherers from the very beginning of the 5th millennium cal BC progressively adopted Neolithic commodities, others are more in favor of a rapid transition near the end of the 5th millennium caused by a further northwest migration of farmers-herders colonizing the lowlands. Here, radiocarbon dated bones from sheep/goat and possibly also cattle are presented which provide the first hard evidence of an early introduction of domesticated animals within a hunter-gatherer context in NW Belgium, situated ca. 80 km north of the agro-pastoral frontier. Based on their isotope signal it is suggested that these first domesticates were probably not merely obtained through exchange with contemporaneous farmers but were kept locally, providing evidence of small-scale local stockbreeding in the lowlands maybe as early as ca. 4800/4600 cal BC. If confirmed by future in-depth isotope analyses, the latter testifies of intense contact and transmission of knowledge in this early contact period, which is also visible in the material culture, such as the lithic and pottery technology. It also implies direct and prolonged involvement of farmer-herders, either through visiting specialists or intermarriage, which follows recent genetic evidence demonstrating much more hunter-gatherer ancestry in early farmer’s genes in western Europe compared to central and SE Europe.
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Scaffidi BK, Tung TA, Gordon G, Alaica AK, González La Rosa LM, Marsteller SJ, Dahlstedt A, Schach E, Knudson KJ. Drinking Locally: A Water 87Sr/86Sr Isoscape for Geolocation of Archeological Samples in the Peruvian Andes. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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