Mapping of bioavailable strontium isotope ratios in France for archaeological provenance studies

Willmes, Malte; Bataille, Clément P.; James, Hannah F.; Moffat, Ian; McMorrow, Linda; Kinsley, Leslie; Armstrong, Richard; Eggins, Stephen; Grün, Rainer

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.12.025

Cited by 130 publications

(173 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

152

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Interpolation models have been used to map bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in Europe (Willmes et al, ) and was carried out on Cape York soil, plant and water results. Parameters were compared across three kriging interpolation methods: simple, Empirical Bayesian Kriging and Cokriging (Figures , Figure )…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A strontium isoscape of north‐east Australia for human provenance and repatriation

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It has been estimated that up to 25% of Indigenous human remains held in Australian institutions are unprovenanced. Geochemical tracers like strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) have been used globally for over 40 years to discern human provenance and provide independent data to aid in repatriation efforts. To reliably apply this technology, landscape 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio variability must be quantified. In Australia, only a few studies have used this technique and they are lacking in detail. Here, we present Australia's first regional strontium isotope ratio variability study. We measured strontium isotope ratios in soil, plant, water, and faunal material throughout Cape York, Queensland, the most northerly point of mainland Australia. Results show a close correlation between surface soil leachates, vegetation, surface water, and faunal 87Sr/86Sr results with extremely high values (0.78664) associated with ancient Precambrian geology. Our study suggests that measuring 87Sr/86Sr in soil and plant samples offer a reliable approach for assessing regional Sr isotope distribution, although the inclusion of mammal and freshwater samples is also important to assess exogenous inputs. This study provides an important tool for modern and prehistoric provenance studies and may aid in answering some of Australia's most enduring archaeological questions.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A strontium isoscape of north‐east Australia for human provenance and repatriation

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Based on the high spatial variation of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in the geosphere and the fact that Sr is expected to be present in relatively high concentration in many biological tissues, Sr isotopes are recognised as powerful tracers of provenance . The geographic variability of bioavailable Sr isotope ratios is related to a combination of their inherent variation in different bedrock geologies and the Sr being from a variety of environmental and anthropogenic sources . Importantly, there is no evidence for fractionation of Sr isotopes during biological processes …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysing Sr isotopes in low‐Sr samples such as single insects with inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry using N₂O as a reaction gas for in‐line Rb separation

Murphy

Allen

Ghidan

et al. 2020

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Rationale Strontium isotopes are valuable markers of provenance in a range of disciplines. Limited amounts of Sr in low‐mass samples such as insects mean that conventional Sr isotope analysis precludes their use for geographic origins in many ecological studies or in applications such as biosecurity. Here we test the viability of using inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS/MS) with N2O as a reaction gas for accurately determining Sr isotopes in insects with Sr < 100 ng. Methods Strontium isotopes were determined in solution mode using ICP‐MS/MS with 0.14 L/min N2O as a reaction gas to convert Sr+ into SrO+ for in‐line separation of 87Sr from 87Rb. The Sr isotope reference standards NIST SRM 987, NIST SRM 1570a and NIST SRM 1547 were used to assess accuracy and reproducibility. Ten insect species collected from the wild as a proof‐of‐principle application were analysed for Sr concentration and Sr isotopes. Results Using ICP‐MS/MS we show for the first time that internal mass bias correction of 87Sr16O/86Sr16O based on 88Sr16O/86Sr16O works to give for NIST SRM 987 a 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7101 ± 0.012 (RSD = 0.17%) and for NIST SRM 1570a a 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7100 ± 0.009 (RSD = 0.12%), which are within error of the accepted values. The first 87Sr/86Sr ratio of NIST SRM 1547 is 0.7596 ± 0.0014. Strontium analyses were run on 0.8 mL of 0.25–0.5 ppb Sr, which equates to 2–4 ng of Sr. Strontium isotope analysis with a precision of >99.8% can be achieved with in‐line separation of 87Sr from 87Rb at least up to solutions with 25 ppb Rb. Conclusions A minimum of 5 mg of insect tissue is required for Sr isotope analysis. This new ICP‐MS/MS method enables Sr isotope analysis in single insects, allowing population‐scale studies to be feasible and making possible applications with time‐critical uses such as biosecurity.

show abstract

“…Located within the Aquitaine Basin of France, Gurat sits within a lithological unit composed of carbonaceous sediments such as chalk, limestone, and dolomite (BRGM, n.d.). Bioavailable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios derived from plant and soil samples have previously been determined for the immediate area surrounding Gurat, producing values ranging from 0.7091 to 0.7098 (Willmes et al, ). The Gurat region within the Aquitaine Basin neighbours the Massif Central, an area characterized by mountains and plateaux.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Gurat region within the Aquitaine Basin neighbours the Massif Central, an area characterized by mountains and plateaux. The Massif Central has produced some of the highest plant and soil 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values (0.7140–0.7218) in France (Willmes et al, ). Willmes et al () used lithology to classify 87 Sr/ 86 Sr groupings instead of bedrock age, as lithology was found to serve as a better cluster variable in their analyses of 968 samples from 540 locations across the country.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Massif Central has produced some of the highest plant and soil 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values (0.7140–0.7218) in France (Willmes et al, ). Willmes et al () used lithology to classify 87 Sr/ 86 Sr groupings instead of bedrock age, as lithology was found to serve as a better cluster variable in their analyses of 968 samples from 540 locations across the country. Each lithologically defined isotope group is represented at multiple locations within France, thus limiting the specificity with which one may attempt to reconstruct mobility patterns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Interpreting medieval mobility from burials at the rock‐hewn church of St. Georges, Gurat (France): Insights from strontium isotope analysis of bones and teeth

Meijer

Dolphin

Yakymchuk

et al. 2019

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The cave church St. Georges is a hand‐carved limestone cave church located in Gurat, southwestern France, which likely developed from a hermitic site by the High Middle Ages (1001–1300 AD). Gurat is unique in that few bioarchaeological studies of monastic collections, particularly in France, have been conducted. This research represents the first effort to understand who the people at Gurat were, and where they might have travelled from, by employing strontium isotope analysis. Such data are used to interpret motivations behind hypothesized mobility. Dental and skeletal tissues from 14 individuals excavated at the cave church site were analysed for their strontium isotope ratio via laser ablation multicollector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry. The 87Sr/86Sr values in human bone samples from Gurat indicate that all individuals likely lived near Gurat for at least the last few years of their lives. 87Sr/86Sr values yielded from tooth enamel samples indicate that during childhood, the Gurat individuals were mobile and originated from a region isotopically dissimilar to Gurat. Mobility into the site of Gurat may be explained by the pilgrimage routes in which traversed Gurat, as well as by the practice of transhumance. Given that two pilgrimage routes passed near the village, Gurat would have been a consistently well‐travelled site for nonlocal Christians during the Middle Ages. It is therefore likely that many travellers passed through the village of Gurat. Additionally, because Cistercian monks practiced transhumance during the medieval period, and many of the Gurat individuals do appear isotopically to have origins from highland regions in France (i.e., the Massif Central), it is possible that these individuals engaged in seasonal migration between highland and lowland regions. Therefore, the data presented here have demonstrated that, through strontium isotope analysis, the Gurat individuals were likely migrants to the Gurat cave church.

show abstract

Mapping of bioavailable strontium isotope ratios in France for archaeological provenance studies

Cited by 130 publications

References 48 publications

A strontium isoscape of north‐east Australia for human provenance and repatriation

A strontium isoscape of north‐east Australia for human provenance and repatriation

Analysing Sr isotopes in low‐Sr samples such as single insects with inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry using N₂O as a reaction gas for in‐line Rb separation

Interpreting medieval mobility from burials at the rock‐hewn church of St. Georges, Gurat (France): Insights from strontium isotope analysis of bones and teeth

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Mapping of bioavailable strontium isotope ratios in France for archaeological provenance studies

Cited by 130 publications

References 48 publications

A strontium isoscape of north‐east Australia for human provenance and repatriation

A strontium isoscape of north‐east Australia for human provenance and repatriation

Analysing Sr isotopes in low‐Sr samples such as single insects with inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry using N2O as a reaction gas for in‐line Rb separation

Interpreting medieval mobility from burials at the rock‐hewn church of St. Georges, Gurat (France): Insights from strontium isotope analysis of bones and teeth

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Analysing Sr isotopes in low‐Sr samples such as single insects with inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry using N₂O as a reaction gas for in‐line Rb separation