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In 2009 and 2010, strontium analysis was applied to 18 skeletons from the cemetery. This process compares background radiation an individual was exposed to over the course of their lifetime stored in their bones and teeth to the known background radiation of specific areas. [6] Based on this analysis, 11 of this sample were born and raised in ...
The most widely studied and used isotopes in archaeology are carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, strontium and calcium. [2] An isotope is an atom of an element with an abnormal number of neutrons, changing their atomic mass. [2] Isotopes can be subdivided into stable and unstable or radioactive. Unstable isotopes decay at a predictable rate over time. [2]
Archaeological materials, such as bone, organic residues, hair, or sea shells, can serve as substrates for isotopic analysis. Carbon, nitrogen and zinc isotope ratios are used to investigate the diets of past people; these isotopic systems can be used with others, such as strontium or oxygen, to answer questions about population movements and cultural interactions, such as trade.
It had already been shown [20] from strontium and oxygen isotope analysis of the Archer's 2nd premolar and 3rd molar teeth (which mineralise at different ages) that the Archer spent his childhood in Central Europe, probably in the Western Alps. By contrast the Companion appears to have been born in Wessex, but spent part of his childhood in ...
The nitrogen stable isotope system is based on the relative enrichment/depletion of 15 N in comparison to 14 N in δ15N. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses are complementary in paleodiet studies. Nitrogen isotopes in bone collagen are ultimately derived from dietary protein, while carbon can be contributed by protein, carbohydrate, or fat.
For example, trauma found through inspection of an individual's remaining bones may tell a unique story to an archaeologist that they could then build on. Moreover, other items may survive such as weapons that were unique to the individual, jewelry or possessions that could establish social status or gender, bones of animals, or articles of ...
Analysis of carbon and nitrogen in bone collagen yields information about diet and nutrition while the analysis of strontium and oxygen can reveal migration patterns of individuals. [ 18 ] [ 21 ] Isotope analyzing can be used to study the food source through δ 13 C and δ 15 N values, as a higher in δ 15 N is an indication of higher ...
An analysis based on samples from the bones indicated a diet of plants and land-based animals, with little or no seafood. [2] A strontium isotope analysis revealed that he likely grew up in Funen, the island where the remains were found. [2] An early DNA analysis revealed no useful results. The few DNA traces found were probably from ...