Strontium isotope evidence of Neanderthal mobility at the site of Lakonis, Greece using laser-ablation PIMMS

Comments on Richards et al., Journal of Archaeological Science 35, 2008 “Strontium isotope evidence of Neanderthal mobility at the site of Lakonis, Greece using laser-ablation PIMMS”

“…Based on an alternative and analytically more robust method of correcting for isobaric interferences present during the analysis the tooth appears to be isotopically homogenous and within uncertainty of the value for modern seawater. If this is the case then contrary to the migration model proposed by Richards et al (2008) the Neanderthal individual may have actually been a coastal dweller and lived within the vicinity of the find site. …”

“…In the recent contribution by Richards et al (2008) Sr isotope data were presented for a single Neanderthal tooth and interpreted to represent the first 'direct evidence' for Neanderthal migration of at least 20km. There are various issues regarding the accuracy of the published data, which cast doubt over the robustness of this interpretation.…”

“…There are various issues regarding the accuracy of the published data, which cast doubt over the robustness of this interpretation. The aim of this comment is not actually to disprove the model of Richards et al (2008) but more to illustrate to the archaeological community that the accuracy of laser ablation Sr isotope data can be very sensitive to the methods used for the correction of interferences during analysis. We will illustrate that subtle differences in those correction methods can lead to diametrically opposed conclusions.…”

“…A variety of assertions are also made by Richards et al (2008) about the merits of the laser ablation analytical method relative to more 'traditional' methods, which are either incorrect and/or are oversimplified. The remainder of the comment provides a more complete discussion of these assertions and illustrates that laser ablation is not necessarily the most appropriate analytical method for the measurement of Sr isotopes on archaeologically important samples.…”

Limiting the impact of destructive analytical techniques through sequential microspatial sampling of the enamel from single teeth

“…This has especially been the case for studies involving the microstructure and chemical composition of dental tissues (enamel, dentine, cementum) -although there has also been growing exploration of the meaning of microspatial chemical variations in bone (Scharlotta et al 2013). A significant effort to develop microspatial sampling techniques for teeth (human and non-human) comes from within fields such as anthropology and archaeology (Dolphin et al 2005;Cucina et al 2007;Copeland et al 2008;Humphrey et al 2008;Richards et al 2008;Aubert et al 2012;Metcalfe and Longstaffe 2012;Farell et al 2013;Pfeiffer et al 2013), and health and environmental sciences (Lochner et al 1999;Arora and Austin 2013;Becker 2013), among others. Such research stems from a desire to capture information that is only accessible through assessment of the incremental formation (at a known rate) of dental tissues, and examination of their incorporation of elements from the environment during development.…”