Strontium isotope (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) variability in the Nile Valley: Identifying residential mobility during ancient Egyptian and Nubian sociopolitical changes in the New Kingdom and Napatan periods

Abstract

As a successful technique for identifying residential mobility in other areas, this study investigates the feasibility of using 87Sr/86Sr analysis to track the movements of the ancient peoples of Egypt and Nubia in the Nile Valley, who interacted via trade, warfare, and political occupations over millennia. Dental enamel from faunal remains is used to examine variability in strontium sources in seven regional sites; human enamel samples are analyzed from eight Nile Valley sites in order to trace human movements. The faunal samples show a wide range of 87Sr/86Sr values demonstrating that some animals were raised in a variety of locales. The results of the human samples reveal overlap in 87Sr/86Sr values between Egyptian and Nubian sites; however, Egyptian 87Sr/86Sr values (mean/median [0.70777], sd [0.00027]) are statistically higher than the Nubian 87Sr/86Sr values (mean [0.70762], median [0.70757], sd [0.00036], suggesting that it is possible to identify if immigrant Egyptians were present at Nubian sites. Samples examined from the site of Tombos provide important information regarding the sociopolitical activities during the New Kingdom and Napatan periods. Based on a newly established local 87Sr/86Sr range, human values, and bioarchaeological evidence, this study confirms the preliminary idea that immigrants, likely from Egypt, were present during the Egyptian New Kingdom occupation of Nubia. In the subsequent Napatan period when Nubia ruled Egypt as the 25th Dynasty, 87Sr/86Sr values are statistically different from the New Kingdom component and indicate that only locals were present at Tombos during this developmental time.

Maize, mounds, and the movement of people: isotope analysis of a Mississippian/Fort Ancient region

“…Enamel is largely a mineral, hydroxyapatite, Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (OH) 2 , composed primarily of calcium, phosphorous and oxygen. 9 87 Sr/ 86 Sr from all water and food sources utilized by an individual are incorporated into skeletal tissue, with plants being the major contributor to strontium signatures (Burton and Price, 2000;Buzon and Simonetti, 2013). Tooth enamel has a dense structure that greatly minimizes diagenesis , is not affected by remodeling, and can be associated with particular developmental periods (Price et al, 2002;Sponheimer and Lee-Thorp, 1999).…”

Geographic origins and dietary transitions during the bronze age in the oman peninsula

“…While radiogenic strontium isotope analysis has become the standard in biogeochemical assessments of residential mobility and geographic origins (e.g., Bentley et al, 2002;Wright, 2005;Price et al, 2006;Knudson and Tung, 2011;Buzon and Simonetti, 2013;Gregoricka, 2013), oxygen isotope analysis offers an independent evaluation of locality that, while complementing strontium datasets, has not been extensively used until recent years (e.g., Prowse et al, 2007;Knudson et al, 2009;Perry et al, 2009;Price et al, 2010;Turner and Armelagos, 2012;Kendall et al, 2013). Moreover, in skeletal collections where collagen is not adequately preserved for measuring carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios, enamel carbonate can provide an alternate means of investigating temporal changes in consumption patterns.…”

Entanglement and the Formation of the Ancient Nubian Napatan State

“…Thirty‐five percent (19/55) of the New Kingdom 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values are above the established local range ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr = 0.70710–0.70783), values that are associated with Egyptian sites (Buzon and Simonetti ). Forty‐eight individuals buried in Units 6 and 7 could be placed in the three broad phases within the New Kingdom based on in situ diagnostic pottery as well as scarab and coffin design (see Figure ): the reign of Amenhotep II to Thutmose IV (AII to TIV, ca.…”

“…). We have completed the analysis of seven contemporaneous Nile Valley samples and have determined that it is possible to identify nonlocal individuals at Tombos using strontium isotopes; Egyptian 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values (mean/median [0.70777], SD [0.00027]) are statistically higher than Nubian values (mean [0.70762], median [0.70757], SD [0.00036]) (Buzon and Simonetti ; Buzon et al. ).…”