1
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology in Denmark. SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.2478/sjfs-2022-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the status of forensic anthropology and forensic archeology in Denmark, as well as related information about education, research, and skeletal collections. Forensic anthropologists mainly deal with the examination of unidentified skeletal remains. Some special tasks include cranial trauma analysis of the recently deceased, advanced 3D visualization from CT scanning of homicide cases, and stature estimation of perpetrators using surveillance videos. Forensic anthropologists are employed at one of Denmark’s three departments of forensic medicine (in Copenhagen, Odense, and Aarhus) and have access to advanced imaging equipment (e.g., CT and MR scanning, surface scanners, and 3D printers) for use in both their requisitioned work and their research. Extensive research is conducted on different topics, such as the health and diseases of past populations, age estimation, and human morphology. Research is based on skeletal material from the archeological collections housed in Copenhagen and Odense or on CT data from the recently deceased. There is no full degree in forensic anthropology in Denmark, but elective courses and lectures are offered to students at different levels and to people from different professional backgrounds.
Forensic archaeology is a relatively new field of expertise in Denmark, and relevant cases are rare, with only one or two cases per year. No forensic archeologists are officially employed in any of the departments of forensic medicine. Until recently, the Special Crime Unit of the police handled crime scene investigations involving excavations, but with the option of enlisting the help of outside specialists, such as archaeologists, anthropologists, and pathologists. An official excavation work group was established in 2015 under the lead of the Special Crime Unit of the police with the aim of refining the methods and procedures used in relevant criminal investigations. The group is represented by five police officers from the Special Crime Scene Unit, a police officer from the National Police Dog Training center, the two archaeologists from Moesgaard Museum, a forensic anthropologist from the Department of Forensic Medicine (University of Copenhagen), and a forensic pathologist from the Department of Forensic Medicine (University of Aarhus).
Collapse
|
3
|
Laffranchi Z, Granados‐Torres A, Lösch S, Zink A, Dori I, Delgado‐Huertas A, Milella M. “Celts” up and down the Alps. Insights on mobility patterns in the
pre‐Roman
/Celtic population from Verona (
NE
Italy, 3rd–1st c.
BCE
): A multi‐isotopic approach. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022. [PMCID: PMC9544713 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Objectives The Late Iron Age in continental Europe featured complex demographic processes including, among others, the establishment of transalpine “Celtic” communities on the Italian peninsula between the 4th and 1st centuries BCE. To date, only few data are available about mobility and migration in these populations. Here we explore these topics among the Cenomani of Seminario Vescovile (SV‐Verona, Italy, 3rd–1st c. BCE) through a multi‐isotopic approach and test the possible associations with sex, age and funerary treatment. Materials and methods We analyzed isotopic ratios of oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) from bone phosphate and collagen, respectively, of 49 individuals (23 males, 17 females, and 9 nonadults). In addition, we explored possible intraindividual lifetime changes by comparing collagen δ13C from bone and dentine of 26 individuals. We assessed nonlocality based on individual deviation of isotopic values from the population mean plus three times the median absolute deviation from the median (±3MAD). We then checked for isotopic differences between sexes and type of funerary treatment using Mann–Whitney tests. Results One individual shows isotopic values consistent with a nonlocal origin. Five more individuals may have originated from a different locality. No statistical differences separate sexes and types of funerary treatment. Discussion Results suggest a local origin of most of the individuals of SV with the few exceptions pointing especially to an Alpine origin. The low frequency of nonlocals at SV suggest a reduced mobility in this population, or the preeminence of short distance movements undetected by our analyses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zita Laffranchi
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Arsenio Granados‐Torres
- Stable Isotopes Biogeochemistry Laboratory Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences, (IACT‐CSIC‐UGR) Granada Spain
| | - Sandra Lösch
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Albert Zink
- Institute for Mummy Studies Eurac Research Bolzano Italy
| | - Irene Dori
- Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Verona Verona Italy
| | - Antonio Delgado‐Huertas
- Stable Isotopes Biogeochemistry Laboratory Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences, (IACT‐CSIC‐UGR) Granada Spain
| | - Marco Milella
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rodiouchkina K, Rodushkin I, Goderis S, Vanhaecke F. Longitudinal isotope ratio variations in human hair and nails. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 808:152059. [PMID: 34863743 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Due to the straightforward and non-invasive sampling, ease of transport and long-term storage and access to time-resolved information, determination of element concentrations and isotope ratios in hair and nails finds increasing use. Multi-isotopic information preserved in keratinous tissues allows one to reveal dietary, physiological and environmental influences, but progress in this area is still limited by complicated and time-consuming analytical procedures and challenges in accuracy assessment. In this study, longitudinal distributions of δ34S, 87Sr/86Sr, 207,208Pb/206Pb, δ66Zn, δ56Fe, δ65Cu, δ26Mg, and δ114Cd were obtained for hair and nails collected from nine subjects with different age, biological sex, diet and/or place of residence. For S and Zn, the distribution along hair strands revealed a trend towards a heavier isotopic signature from the proximal to the distal end, with a maximum difference within the hair of a single subject of 1.2‰ (Δ34S) and 0.4‰ (Δ66Zn). For Fe, Cu, Mg and Cd, a shift towards either a lighter (Cu) or heavier (Fe, Mg and Cd) isotopic composition is accompanied by increasing concentration towards the distal hair end, indicating possible isotope fractionation during deposition or external contamination with a different isotopic composition. Pb and Sr isotope ratios are relatively stable throughout the hair strands despite notable concentration increases towards the distal end, likely reflecting external contamination. The isotopic composition of Sr points to tap water as a probable main source, explaining the relative stability of the ratio for individuals from the same geographical location. For Pb, isotopic compositions suggest tap water and/or indoor dust as possible sources. Similar δ34S, 87Sr/86Sr, 207,208Pb/206Pb, δ66Zn, δ56Fe, and δ65Cu observed for hair, fingernails and toenails sampled from the same individual suggest that keratinous tissues are conservative receivers of internal and external inputs and can be used complementary. Seasonal variation in δ34S, 207,208Pb/206Pb, and δ65Cu was observed for fingernails.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Rodiouchkina
- Ghent University, Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) research group, Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281 - S12, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- ALS Scandinavia AB, ALS Laboratory Group, Aurorum 10, S-977 75 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Steven Goderis
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Chemistry, Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC) research group, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frank Vanhaecke
- Ghent University, Department of Chemistry, Atomic and Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) research group, Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281 - S12, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cavazzuti C, Hajdu T, Lugli F, Sperduti A, Vicze M, Horváth A, Major I, Molnár M, Palcsu L, Kiss V. Human mobility in a Bronze Age Vatya 'urnfield' and the life history of a high-status woman. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254360. [PMID: 34319991 PMCID: PMC8318297 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we present osteological and strontium isotope data of 29 individuals (26 cremations and 3 inhumations) from Szigetszentmiklós-Ürgehegy, one of the largest Middle Bronze Age cemeteries in Hungary. The site is located in the northern part of the Csepel Island (a few kilometres south of Budapest) and was in use between c. 2150 and 1500 BC, a period that saw the rise, the apogee, and, ultimately, the collapse of the Vatya culture in the plains of Central Hungary. The main aim of our study was to identify variation in mobility patterns among individuals of different sex/age/social status and among individuals treated with different burial rites using strontium isotope analysis. Changes in funerary rituals in Hungary have traditionally been associated with the crises of the tell cultures and the introgression of newcomers from the area of the Tumulus Culture in Central Europe around 1500 BC. Our results show only slight discrepancies between inhumations and cremations, as well as differences between adult males and females. The case of the richly furnished grave n. 241 is of particular interest. The urn contains the cremated bones of an adult woman and two 7 to 8-month-old foetuses, as well as remarkably prestigious goods. Using 87Sr/86Sr analysis of different dental and skeletal remains, which form in different life stages, we were able to reconstruct the potential movements of this high-status woman over almost her entire lifetime, from birth to her final days. Our study confirms the informative potential of strontium isotopes analyses performed on different cremated tissues. From a more general, historical perspective, our results reinforce the idea that exogamic practices were common in Bronze Age Central Europe and that kinship ties among high-rank individuals were probably functional in establishing or strengthening interconnections, alliances, and economic partnerships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Cavazzuti
- Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civiltà, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italia
- Archaeology Department, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Tamás Hajdu
- Department of Biological Anthropology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Anthropology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Federico Lugli
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Alessandra Sperduti
- Museo delle Civiltà, Sezione di Bioarcheologia, Rome, Italy
- University of Napoli “L’Orientale”, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Aniko Horváth
- ICER Centre, Institute for Nuclear Research, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Major
- ICER Centre, Institute for Nuclear Research, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Mihály Molnár
- ICER Centre, Institute for Nuclear Research, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Palcsu
- ICER Centre, Institute for Nuclear Research, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Viktória Kiss
- Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre of Excellence, Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Reiter SS, Møller NA, Nielsen BH, Bech JH, Olsen ALH, Jørkov MLS, Kaul F, Mannering U, Frei KM. Into the fire: Investigating the introduction of cremation to Nordic Bronze Age Denmark: A comparative study between different regions applying strontium isotope analyses and archaeological methods. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249476. [PMID: 33979332 PMCID: PMC8115792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in funerary practices are key to the understanding of social transformations of past societies. Over the course of the Nordic Bronze Age, funerary practices changed from inhumation to cremation. The aim of this study is to shed light on this fundamental change through a cross-examination of archaeometric provenance data and archaeological discussions of the context and layouts of early cremation graves. To this end, we conducted 19 new provenance analyses of strontium isotopes from Early Nordic Bronze age contexts in Thisted County and Zealand and Late Bronze Age contexts from Thisted County and Vesthimmerland (Denmark). These data are subsequently compared with data from other extant relevant studies, including those from Late Bronze Age Fraugde on the Danish island of Fyn. Overall, the variations within our provenience data suggest that the integration and establishment of cremation may not have had a one-to-one relationship with in-migration to Nordic Bronze Age Denmark. Moreover, there seems to be no single blanket scenario which dictated the uptake of cremation as a practice within this part of Southern Scandinavia. By addressing habitus in relation to the deposition of cremations as juxtaposed with these provenance data¸ we hypothesize several potential pathways for the uptake of cremation as a new cultural practice within the Danish Nordic Bronze Age and suggest that this may have been a highly individual process, whose tempo may have been dictated by the specificities of the region(s) concerned.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha S. Reiter
- Department of Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, The National Museum of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby (Brede), Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Flemming Kaul
- Department of Ancient Cultures of Denmark and the Mediterranean, The National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulla Mannering
- Department of Ancient Cultures of Denmark and the Mediterranean, The National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karin M. Frei
- Department of Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, The National Museum of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby (Brede), Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Andreasen R, Thomsen E. Strontium Is Released Rapidly From Agricultural Lime–Implications for Provenance and Migration Studies. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.588422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of strontium isotopes in pre-historic mobility studies requires accurate isoscapes for evaluating whether pre-historic individuals are local to the areas in which they were buried or not. Isoscapes are often based on modern-day samples, commonly surface waters. There is, however, growing evidence that modern-day farming has a significant impact on the strontium isotopic composition of surface waters and farmed soils, mainly due to the use of agricultural lime for soil improvement. In this paper, we investigate the fate of strontium from agricultural lime in an experimentally-manipulated field in central Jutland, Denmark. Agricultural limestone was added to this field at very high rates in 2012 and 2013 to investigate CO2 storage in soils. Strontium was first measured from the site in 2014. In 2019 we reevaluated strontium concentrations and found that 80–100% of the strontium from the agricultural lime had leached out of the organic-rich topsoil, and likely seeped into the underlying groundwater and nearby surface waters. In both the sandy soils of the liming test site and farmed soils and heathland in the adjacent area, Sr exhibits a degree of mobility similar to that of calcium, which is in agreement with data for other soil types and what is predicted by the size of its hydrated ions. Strontium isotopic compositions of unfarmed heathland samples show much higher 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and so are not influenced by carbonates, suggesting that the limestone 87Sr/86Sr signature seen in the farmland and in streams and rivers in contact with this comes from agricultural lime, and not from natural carbonate relicts occasionally found in the area. This suggests that the 87Sr/86Sr signatures of the area were higher in pre-historic times, and that an isoscape map based on samples from modern-day farmland is inappropriate for application to provenance and mobility studies of pre-historic people. Thus, it is critical that the possible impact of farming is evaluated when conducting provenance and mobility studies, especially in areas with Sr-poor soils and where agricultural lime is used for soil improvement. Overlooking this can result in significant overestimation of the degree of pre-historic mobility.
Collapse
|
9
|
Thomsen E, Andreasen R, Rasmussen TL. Homogeneous Glacial Landscapes Can Have High Local Variability of Strontium Isotope Signatures: Implications for Prehistoric Migration Studies. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.588318] [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
Increasingly, strontium (Sr) isotopes are used to distinguish locals and migrants in prehistoric studies, by measuring87Sr/86Sr in human remains and comparing these values to the distribution of the bioavailable87Sr/86Sr in the study area, often in surface water. However, it has recently been shown that agricultural lime can have a substantial impact on the87Sr/86Sr ratio and strontium concentration in surface water in areas where soils are low- to non-calcareous. Agricultural lime is rich in strontium with low87Sr/86Sr ratios, such that interpretations of prehistoric migration based on surface waters affected by agricultural lime often overestimate the number of migrants in a given area. However, the impact of agricultural lime was questioned in a new study, which argues that strontium derived from agricultural lime is retained in the topsoil of the fields and therefore do not contaminate the surface water. In the present study and in a companion study in this volume, we show that strontium derived from agricultural lime is highly mobile in soils, and so contaminate surface waters extensively. We also show that the87Sr/86Sr ratios are consistently higher in waters from “pristine areas” (where no agricultural lime has been applied within a distance of 150 m from the sample locality) than in water from farmland, thus confirming that it is of vital importance for accurate mapping of isoscapes to avoid sampling waters contaminated by agricultural lime. Our new measurements of87Sr/86Sr ratios in central Jutland, Denmark, raise the highest measured values to 0.7186. High values between 0.7140 and 0.7156 occur repeatedly and it is apparent that nearly all prehistoric human finds in Jutland, previously believed to have journeyed from afar are more likely of local origin. Furthermore, we show that carbonate-rich areas along the coast of southwest Zealand carry high87Sr/86Sr values (0.7112–0.7132), where we would expect low values. This surprising result indicates that nearly all humans buried at the Viking Age site, Trelleborg could well have originated locally, in contrast to past studies, which have suggested that about 50% of the burials were of individuals who came from afar.
Collapse
|
10
|
Kinship and social organization in Copper Age Europe. A cross-disciplinary analysis of archaeology, DNA, isotopes, and anthropology from two Bell Beaker cemeteries. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241278. [PMID: 33196640 PMCID: PMC7668604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a high-resolution cross-disciplinary analysis of kinship structure and social institutions in two Late Copper Age Bell Beaker culture cemeteries of South Germany containing 24 and 18 burials, of which 34 provided genetic information. By combining archaeological, anthropological, genetic and isotopic evidence we are able to document the internal kinship and residency structure of the cemeteries and the socially organizing principles of these local communities. The buried individuals represent four to six generations of two family groups, one nuclear family at the Alburg cemetery, and one seemingly more extended at Irlbach. While likely monogamous, they practiced exogamy, as six out of eight non-locals are women. Maternal genetic diversity is high with 23 different mitochondrial haplotypes from 34 individuals, whereas all males belong to one single Y-chromosome haplogroup without any detectable contribution from Y-chromosomes typical of the farmers who had been the sole inhabitants of the region hundreds of years before. This provides evidence for the society being patrilocal, perhaps as a way of protecting property among the male line, while in-marriage from many different places secured social and political networks and prevented inbreeding. We also find evidence that the communities practiced selection for which of their children (aged 0–14 years) received a proper burial, as buried juveniles were in all but one case boys, suggesting the priority of young males in the cemeteries. This is plausibly linked to the exchange of foster children as part of an expansionist kinship system which is well attested from later Indo-European-speaking cultural groups.
Collapse
|
11
|
Hu L, Chartrand MMG, St-Jean G, Lopes M, Bataille CP. Assessing the Reliability of Mobility Interpretation From a Multi-Isotope Hair Profile on a Traveling Individual. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.568943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
|
12
|
Croix S, Frei KM, Sindbæk SM, Søvsø M. Individual geographic mobility in a Viking-Age emporium-Burial practices and strontium isotope analyses of Ribe's earliest inhabitants. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237850. [PMID: 32853240 PMCID: PMC7451598 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual geographic mobility is a key social dynamic of early Viking-Age urbanization in Scandinavia. We present the first comprehensive geographic mobility study of Scandinavia’s earliest emporium, Ribe, which emerged around AD 700 in the North Sea region of Denmark. This article presents the results of strontium isotope analyses of 21 individuals buried at Ribe, combined with an in-depth study of the varied cultural affinities reflected by the burial practices. In order to investigate geographic mobility in early life/childhood, we sampled multiple teeth and/or petrous bone of individuals, which yielded a total of 43 strontium isotope analyses. Most individuals yielded strontium isotope values that fell within a relatively narrow range, between 87Sr/86Sr = 0.709 to 0.711. Only two individuals yielded values >87Sr/86Sr = 0.711. This suggests that most of these individuals had local origins but some had cultural affinities beyond present-day Denmark. Our results raise new questions concerning our understanding of the social and cultural dynamics behind the urbanization of Scandinavia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Croix
- Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet), School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Højbjerg, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Søren Michael Sindbæk
- Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet), School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Højbjerg, Denmark
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Hu L, Fernandez DP, Cerling TE, Tipple BJ. Fast exchange of strontium between hair and ambient water: Implication for isotopic analysis in provenance and forensic studies. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233712. [PMID: 32469972 PMCID: PMC7259688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Trace elements in hair originate from intake (e.g., diet, inhalation, skin absorption), are transported in the bloodstream, and then incorporated during hair formation. However, the trace element abundance and isotopic compositions may be altered by post-eruption environmental processes. Such alterations must be addressed to obtain a meaningful interpretation of hair analysis for biomonitoring. In this study, we used strontium (Sr) isotopic analysis together with sorption kinetics of ionic Sr to quantify the rate and extent of replacement of endogenous Sr in hair by exogenous Sr from ambient water. We found that with only 10 minutes of exposure at room temperature (22°C), more than 30% of original endogenous Sr in hair was replaced with exogenous Sr from the solution. After 16 days of exposure to the solution, more than 90% of endogenous Sr was replaced, with a warmer temperature (60°C) accelerating the exchange substantially. We also found that acid leaching of exposed hair did not remove or isolate the exogenous Sr; therefore, neither the original endogenous nor the exogenous 87Sr/86Sr signal could be separated. Nonetheless, these findings illustrated that the quantitative correlation between the fraction of exogenous Sr and the soaking time, if established, could be used to estimate the length of water contact time for hair in forensic studies. Even if such time since initial contact cannot be established, the combination of acid leaching and 87Sr/86Sr analysis of hair samples may still be valuable in provenance studies to identify recent changes in the exogenous Sr pool, including movements or changes in water source.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lihai Hu
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Diego P. Fernandez
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Thure E. Cerling
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Brett J. Tipple
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
- Global Change and Sustainability Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Frei R, Frei KM, Jessen S. Shallow retardation of the strontium isotope signal of agricultural liming - implications for isoscapes used in provenance studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 706:135710. [PMID: 31787292 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
An intensified debate centers on the use of strontium isotopes in surface water run-off as archive for bioavailable signatures in prehistoric provenance studies. Its use has been challenged by a recent suggestion that modern agricultural liming of farmlands exerts a serious imprint on the strontium isotope compositions of these waters. We here present results from a soil profile beneath agricultural farmland in the glaciogenic outwash plain of central West Jutland, Denmark, which show that strontium and its isotope composition derived from lime products is efficiently retained near the surface. Pore waters and bioavailable strontium from the acidic zone below the surface soil depict strontium isotope signatures that can best be explained by a mixture of silicate-derived and relic natural (not agriculturally added) carbonate-derived strontium. We therefore argue that agricultural liming does not contaminate groundwaters and groundwater-supported surface waters, rendering reference maps based on them relevant for modern and past provenance studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Frei
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - K M Frei
- National Museum of Denmark, Department of Research, Collections and Conservation, Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, I.C. Modewegsvej, Brede, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - S Jessen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mittnik A, Massy K, Knipper C, Wittenborn F, Friedrich R, Pfrengle S, Burri M, Carlichi-Witjes N, Deeg H, Furtwängler A, Harbeck M, von Heyking K, Kociumaka C, Kucukkalipci I, Lindauer S, Metz S, Staskiewicz A, Thiel A, Wahl J, Haak W, Pernicka E, Schiffels S, Stockhammer PW, Krause J. Kinship-based social inequality in Bronze Age Europe. Science 2019; 366:731-734. [PMID: 31601705 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax6219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Revealing and understanding the mechanisms behind social inequality in prehistoric societies is a major challenge. By combining genome-wide data, isotopic evidence, and anthropological and archaeological data, we have gone beyond the dominating supraregional approaches in archaeogenetics to shed light on the complexity of social status, inheritance rules, and mobility during the Bronze Age. We applied a deep microregional approach and analyzed genome-wide data of 104 human individuals deriving from farmstead-related cemeteries from the Late Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age in southern Germany. Our results reveal individual households, lasting several generations, that consisted of a high-status core family and unrelated low-status individuals; a social organization accompanied by patrilocality and female exogamy; and the stability of this system over 700 years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alissa Mittnik
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany. .,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ken Massy
- Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Corina Knipper
- Curt Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry gGmbH, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Ronny Friedrich
- Curt Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry gGmbH, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Saskia Pfrengle
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marta Burri
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | | | - Heidi Deeg
- Museumsverein Bad Mergentheim eV, 97980 Bad Mergentheim, Germany
| | - Anja Furtwängler
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michaela Harbeck
- State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Bavarian Natural History Collections, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Isil Kucukkalipci
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susanne Lindauer
- Curt Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry gGmbH, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie Metz
- Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.,Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz, Direktion Landesarchäologie-Außenstelle Trier, 54290 Trier, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Thiel
- State Office for Cultural Heritage Management Badem-Württemberg, 73728 Esslingen, Germany
| | - Joachim Wahl
- State Office for Cultural Heritage Management Baden-Württemberg, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Haak
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ernst Pernicka
- Curt Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry gGmbH, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephan Schiffels
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Philipp W Stockhammer
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany. .,Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Krause
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany. .,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Frei KM, Bergerbrant S, Sjögren KG, Jørkov ML, Lynnerup N, Harvig L, Allentoft ME, Sikora M, Price TD, Frei R, Kristiansen K. Mapping human mobility during the third and second millennia BC in present-day Denmark. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219850. [PMID: 31433798 PMCID: PMC6703675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We present results of the largest multidisciplinary human mobility investigation to date of skeletal remains from present-day Denmark encompassing the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. Through a multi-analytical approach based on 88 individuals from 37 different archaeological localities in which we combine strontium isotope and radiocarbon analyses together with anthropological investigations, we explore whether there are significant changes in human mobility patterns during this period. Overall, our data suggest that mobility of people seems to have been continuous throughout the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. However, our data also indicate a clear shift in mobility patterns from around 1600 BC onwards, with a larger variation in the geographical origin of the migrants, and potentially including more distant regions. This shift occurred during a transition period at the beginning of the Nordic Bronze Age at a time when society flourished, expanded and experienced an unprecedented economic growth, suggesting that these aspects were closely related.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karin Margarita Frei
- National Museum of Denmark, Department of Research, Collections and Conservation, Environmental Archaeology and Material Science, I.C. Modewegsvej, Brede, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Sophie Bergerbrant
- Institute for Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karl-Göran Sjögren
- Institute for Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marie Louise Jørkov
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Lynnerup
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lise Harvig
- Department of Archaeological Science and Conservation, Højbjerg, Moesgaard Museum, Denmark
| | - Morten E. Allentoft
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Sikora
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - T. Douglas Price
- Institute for Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Laboratory for Archaeological Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Robert Frei
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Osteobiography provides a rich basis for understanding the past, but its conceptual framework has not been outlined systematically. It stands in conceptual opposition to a traditional statistical approach to bioarchaeology modeled upon clinical studies in biomedicine, but is interdependent with it. As such, its position mirrors those of clinical case histories as opposed to statistical studies, participant-observation ethnography as opposed to quantitative sociology, and microhistory and biography as opposed to quantitative history. Such disciplinary comparisons provide a framework for exploring the strengths and weaknesses of osteobiography. It is not merely a tool for engagingly illustrating the "typical" life history as established statistically. Rather, it allows us to understand issues that population studies cannot explore. These include both analytical directions (exploring the complexity of deeply layered data, understanding the role of contingency in human lives, integrating osteological and cultural evidence) and philosophical directions (the interaction of material and conceptual factors in the creation of human bodies, embodiment, the experience of time).
Collapse
|
18
|
Hoogewerff JA, Reimann C, Ueckermann H, Frei R, Frei KM, van Aswegen T, Stirling C, Reid M, Clayton A, Ladenberger A. Bioavailable 87Sr/ 86Sr in European soils: A baseline for provenancing studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 672:1033-1044. [PMID: 30999220 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We present 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios for ~1200 selected soil samples, collected by the GEMAS consortium from grazing (Gr) and agricultural (Ap) soils in Europe with the aim to better understand the strontium isotope distribution in the bioavailable fraction of the top-soil and its potential for provenancing applications. Spatial analysis shows that there is a clear distinction between coastal (<100 km) and non-coastal (>100 km) samples in their variance and that this variance is mirrored in the sodium concentration, suggesting an important but highly variable contribution from seaspray. We present two 87Sr/86Sr maps at 25 km × 25 km scale: one based solely on the measured data using a classical kriging approach and one based on a Random Forest model using complementary GEMAS data to predict the strontium isotope composition at the remaining 3000+ GEMAS sampling locations, including appropriate uncertainty assessment. Using a forensic Bayesian likelihood ratio approach, a tool was developed in R to create provenancing likelihood ratio maps. The maps delineate areas of high and low likelihood and allow investigators to direct their resources to areas of interest. For actual forensic case work either the measured or the modelled data can be used as reference data for the overall distribution of 87Sr/86Sr values in Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jurian A Hoogewerff
- National Centre for Forensic Studies, University of Canberra, Australia; Dept. of Chemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK; Eurogeosurveys, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Clemens Reimann
- Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, Norway; Eurogeosurveys, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Henriette Ueckermann
- Dept. of Geology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa; School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Robert Frei
- Dept. of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Malcolm Reid
- Dept. of Chemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Aaron Clayton
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Anna Ladenberger
- Geological Survey of Sweden, Uppsala, Sweden; Eurogeosurveys, Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Brown EL, Wilson AS. Using evidence from hair and other soft tissues to infer the need for and receipt of health-related care provision. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2019; 25:91-98. [PMID: 30177456 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2018.08.008] [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: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Bioarchaeology of Care approach developed by Tilley is usually applied to skeletalized human remains, given the usual constraints of preservation bias that are seen with archaeological assemblages. However, other tissues, such as hair are sometimes preserved and can provide a wealth of information that can supplement the skeletal data. Archaeological hair has been analysed for drug compounds for almost thirty years. This article integrates data from hair analyses for coca metabolites, stable light isotope analysis and aDNA to expand the potential of the Bioarchaeology of Care approach using the example of a spontaneously mummified adult female from northern Chile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Brown
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew S Wilson
- School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Tipple BJ, Valenzuela LO, Chau TH, Hu L, Bataille CP, Chesson LA, Ehleringer JR. Strontium isotope ratios of human hair from the United States: Patterns and aberrations. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2019; 33:461-472. [PMID: 30597678 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Strontium isotope ratios (87 Sr/86 Sr) of hair may be a valuable tool to estimate human provenance. However, the systematics and mechanisms controlling spatial variation in 87 Sr/86 Sr of modern human hair remain unclear. Here, we measure 87 Sr/86 Sr of hair specimens from across the USA to assess the presence of geospatial relationships. METHODS Ninety-eight human hair specimens were collected from salon/barbershop floors in 48 municipalities throughout the conterminous USA. [Sr] and 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios were measured from hair using quadrupole and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers, respectively. The [Sr] and 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of hair were compared with the measured [Sr] and 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of tap waters from the collection locations. In addition, the 87 Sr/86 Sr ratio of hair was compared with the modeled ratios of bedrock and surface waters. RESULTS Hair color was independent of the 87 Sr/86 Sr ratio, but related to [Sr]. The 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of hair and leachate were not statistically different and were positively correlated; however, in several hair-leachate pairs, the ratios were conspicuously different. The 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of both hair and leachate were linearly correlated with tap water. The 87 Sr/86 Sr ratio of hair was also significantly correlated with the modeled ratio of bedrock and surface waters, although the 87 Sr/86 Sr ratio of hair was most strongly correlated with the measured ratio of tap water. CONCLUSIONS The 87 Sr/86 Sr ratio of hair is related to the ratio of tap water, which varied geographically. The ratio of hair provided geographic information about an individual's recent residence. Differences in the 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of hair and hair leachate may be concomitant with travel and could potentially be used as a screening tool to identify recent movements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brett J Tipple
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
- Global Change and Sustainability Center, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Luciano O Valenzuela
- CONICET, Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva Humana, UNCPBA-Quequén, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Thuan H Chau
- IsoForensics, Inc., 421 Wakara Way, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA
| | - Lihai Hu
- Department of Geology, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Clement P Bataille
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Ottawa, 120 University, Ottawa, ON,, Canada, K1N 6N5
| | - Lesley A Chesson
- IsoForensics, Inc., 421 Wakara Way, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA
| | - James R Ehleringer
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
- Global Change and Sustainability Center, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Thomsen E, Andreasen R. Agricultural lime disturbs natural strontium isotope variations: Implications for provenance and migration studies. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaav8083. [PMID: 30891501 PMCID: PMC6415960 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav8083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The application of 87Sr/86Sr in prehistoric mobility studies requires accurate strontium reference maps. These are often based from present-day surface waters. However, the use of agricultural lime in low to noncalcareous soils can substantially change the 87Sr/86Sr compositions of surface waters. Water unaffected by agriculture in western Denmark has an average 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7124 as compared to an average of 0.7097 in water from nearby farmland. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio obtained from samples over 1.5 km along a stream, which originates in a forest and flows through lime-treated farmland, decreased from 0.7131 to 0.7099. Thus, 87Sr/86Sr-based mobility and provenance studies in regions with low to noncalcareous soils should be reassessed. For example, reinterpreting the iconic Bronze Age women at Egtved and Skrydstrup using values unaffected by agricultural lime indicates that it is most plausible that these individuals originated close to their burial sites and not far abroad as previously suggested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rasmus Andreasen
- Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lugli F, Cipriani A, Tavaglione V, Traversari M, Benazzi S. Transhumance pastoralism of Roccapelago (Modena, Italy) early-modern individuals: Inferences from Sr isotopes of hair strands. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:470-483. [PMID: 30159877 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In this work, we use Sr isotopes to analyze human hair and determine short-term movements of a contemporary human traveler and of early-modern individuals from an archaeological site (Roccapelago, Modena, Italy, 16th-18th century). MATERIALS AND METHODS Analyses were performed using a Neptune MC-ICP-MS. We first set up and tested the procedure on scalp hair of a contemporary human, who spent some time between Brazil and Italy. We then analyzed the 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of eight exceptionally well-preserved archaeological hair specimens associated with human mummies from Roccapelago. Trace elements were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS on single-hair specimens to check the preservation of the archaeological samples. RESULTS The strontium isotope composition of modern human hair varies from 0.7087 to 0.7093. The 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios of the Roccapelago hair strands range from 0.7082 to 0.7137, with an average of 0.7093 ± 0.0031 (2σ), revealing also intra-individual differences in isotopic composition along the length of the hair shaft. Data were compared with local archaeological rodent bones and teeth and with published isotopic values of water and outcropping rocks. Trace element abundances of archaeological and modern human hair are similarly low in terms of Rare Earth Element (REE) and metal contents, in particular after HNO3 leaching. DISCUSSION The variable modern human hair 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios show that high-resolution hair sampling tracks the movements of this individual between the two continents. The Sr isotope composition of the mummy hair is consistent with sub-annual human movements from Roccapelago to an area with different 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios. Historical sources indicate that individuals from Roccapelago travelled with their herds to Tuscany for transhumance pastoralism practices. The high radiogenic 87 Sr/86 Sr ratios (>0.71) found in some of the hair are possibly consistent with the Tuscan Magmatic Province and the Tuscan Metamorphic Complex isotope signature. To our knowledge, this is the first study in an archaeological context where the Sr isotope evidence of mobility is corroborated by historical documents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Lugli
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Anna Cipriani
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Valentina Tavaglione
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Mirko Traversari
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Strontium isotope ratios of human hair record intra-city variations in tap water source. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3334. [PMID: 29463835 PMCID: PMC5820339 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21359-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The oxygen (18O/16O) isotope analysis of hair is commonly applied to reconstruct an individual’s residence history. However, region-of-origin as determined from oxygen isotope values (δ18O) alone is often spatially indistinct. Adding additional geochemical recorders can refine region-of-origin estimates. In this capacity, strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotope analysis has attracted increased interest. While 87Sr/86Sr reflects the influences of local geology, 87Sr/86Sr of hair includes both external environmental signals as well as the internal dietary indicators. To better understand the impact of these contributions to the spatial signal encoded within 87Sr/86Sr of hair, human hair was collected from three locations within Salt Lake City, Utah along with the donor’s sex. The 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O of hair and local tap water were measured. There were no significant relationships between sex and either δ18O or 87Sr/86Sr of hair, nor between collection location and the δ18O of hair. However, we found significant associations between collection location and 87Sr/86Sr of hair. These findings suggest that interactions with local water may be an important source of Sr to human hair and that the 87Sr/86Sr of hair may have the capacity to record differences in 87Sr/86Sr of tap waters on small spatial scales.
Collapse
|