Content:
Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis is now widely used in archaeology to investigate the movements of past humans and animals. In recent years, significant methodological advances have been made, e.g., in sampling approaches (e.g., laser ablation); the establishing of baseline spatial datasets (isoscapes); and in assessing diagenesis. However, the abundance of data available also highlights potential new limitations and caveats: a need is emerging not only for continued experimental and methodological innovation, but also for further cross-disciplinarity and critical consideration of the archaeology of human and animal movements. This session aims to bring together scholars focused on the methodological refinement of strontium isotope analyses with those interested in applying these approaches to study past movements, as well as archaeologists interested in the archaeology of movement more broadly or from a theoretical standpoint. Some questions this session will aim to answer through presentations and in depth discussions are:
1. When can we use Sr isotopes and what are the sampling requirements?
2. How important are baselines and how best can we use them in analysing our data?
3. What is ‘local’ and how do we determine this for past sites and populations?
4. How can we discriminate between mobility, landscape use and migration?
5. How can we best combine Sr data with other types of evidence?
6. Can we use Sr data to reconstruct individual life histories, and how?
7. What are the limitations of Sr isotope analyses?
8. How can we better understand physiological and dietary impacts on tissue Sr?
9. How should we approach ‘origins’ in isotope archaeology?
10. How can we manage the potential politicization of our data?
We encourage presentations that will foster the discussion on the use of Sr in archaeological studies, bring novel issues to light, and help answer some of the abovementioned questions.
Keywords:
Strontium, Mobility, Migration, Isoscapes, Origins
Affiliations:
1 Brussels Bioarchaeology Lab (BB-LAB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium
2 Department of Archaeology, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Scotland