The lay of land: Strontium isotope variability in the dietary catchment of the Late Iron Age proto-urban settlement of Basel-Gasfabrik, Switzerland

Brönnimann, David; Knipper, Corina; Pichler, Sandra; Röder, Brigitte; Rissanen, Hannele; Stopp, Barbara; Rosner, Martin; Blank, Malou; Warnberg, Ole; Alt, Kurt W.; Lassau, Guido; Rentzel, Philippe

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.11.009

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The Eocene- Oligocene marls and the Pleistocene sediments of the Catalan Central Depression had values around 0.7085 and, further to the West (130 Km distant from Turó de la Font de la Canya) the Oligocene bedrock displayed values comprised between 0.7093 and 0.7095. All these strontium ratios are consistent with other measurements from similar geological formations in the Iberian Peninsula and elsewhere [ 29 – 30 , 32 , 38 ].…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The Sr isotopic ratio ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) varies in different geological formations according to the age and original rubidium (Rb) /strontium (Sr) ratio of the bedrock, leading to high radiogenic 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in old or crustal rocks, and low 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in young or mantle rocks [ 23 , 36 ]. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotope composition of plants reflects the strontium isotopic ratios of the underlying bedrock, as biologic processes involved during plant growth do not entail isotopic fractionation of strontium isotopes [ 37 – 38 ]. Other factors affecting strontium ratios in plants include a significant contribution of rainfall water [ 39 ] atmospheric pollution and the use of modern fertilizers [ 40 – 44 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The porosity of bones makes their strontium signature susceptible to diagenetic alteration, but the isotopic signature of tooth enamel bioapatite reflects the period of tooth formation with little subsequent change [ 47 – 48 ]. Therefore, strontium isotope ratios from tooth enamel indicate the type of geological formation from which food and water were sourced during the period of mineralization of the tooth analysed [ 23 – 38 , 49 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shipping amphorae and shipping sheep? Livestock mobility in the north-east Iberian peninsula during the Iron Age based on strontium isotopic analyses of sheep and goat tooth enamel

et al. 2018

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Animal mobility is a common strategy to overcome scarcity of food and the related over-grazing of pastures. It is also essential to reduce the inbreeding rate of animal populations, which is known to have a negative impact on fertility and productivity. The present paper shows the geographic range of sheep provisioning in different phases of occupation at the Iron Age site of Turó de la Font de la Canya (7th to 3rd centuries BC). Strontium isotope ratios from 34 archaeological sheep and goat enamel, two archaeological bones and 14 modern tree leaves are presented. The isotopic results suggest that sheep and goats consumed at the site were reared locally (within a few kilometres radius) during the whole period of occupation. The paper discusses the isotopic results in light of the socio-political structure of this period, as complex, strongly territorial societies developed during the Iron Age in the north-east Iberian Peninsula.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shipping amphorae and shipping sheep? Livestock mobility in the north-east Iberian peninsula during the Iron Age based on strontium isotopic analyses of sheep and goat tooth enamel

et al. 2018

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“…Baselines have previously been produced for e.g. the British Isles [ 28 , 29 ], France [ 30 ], Denmark [ 31 – 33 ], the Netherlands [ 34 ], Switzerland [ 35 ], parts of the North Atlantic regions [ 36 ] and in parts of Mesoamerica [ 37 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isotope values of the bioavailable strontium in inland southwestern Sweden—A baseline for mobility studies

et al. 2018

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The inland area of southwestern Sweden is well known for its well-preserved archaeological animal and human remains dating back to the Mesolithic and Neolithic (10000–4000 and 4000–1700 BC). They allow application of multiple bioarchaeological methods, giving insights into various and complementary aspects of prehistoric human life, as well as economic and social structures. One important aspect concerns human mobility and its relation to social networks and to circulation of objects. Here, strontium isotope analysis plays a crucial role. The present study aims to construct a strontium isotope baseline of southwestern Sweden with considerably greater coverage and higher resolution than previously published data. As the region has been affected by glacial events, the relation between bedrock geology and isotope signals of the bioavailable strontium in such areas is given special attention. We determined strontium isotope ratios for 61 water and five archaeological animal samples, and combined the data with previous measurements of two water and 21 non-domestic faunal samples. The results reveal a complex pattern. Several areas with distinct baseline ranges can be distinguished, although with overlaps between some of them. Overall, the bioavailable strontium isotope signals mirror the basement geology of the region. The highest ratios occur in the geologically oldest eastern parts of the Precambrian terrain, while lower ratios are found in the western part, and the lowest ratios occur in the youngest Paleozoic areas. At the same time, there are minor deviations compared to the underlying bedrock, due to glacial transport, overlying sediments, and local intrusions of younger rocks. The background data set now available allows for more nuanced and detailed interpretations of human and animal mobility in the region, in particular by identification of subregions with differing strontium isotope ratios within the Precambrian province. Also, we can now identify long distance mobility with greater confidence.

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“…The classification of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios as non-local requires comparative data that characterize the isotope ratios of the biologically available strontium. Samples to establish Sr isotope baselines can include enamel of supposedly locally fed animals from archaeological contexts, modern water or vegetation as well as archaeological bones [43][44][45][46][47].…”

Section: Strontium Isotope Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Coalescing traditions—Coalescing people: Community formation in Pannonia after the decline of the Roman Empire

et al. 2020

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The decline of the Roman rule caused significant political instability and led to the emergence of various 'Barbarian' powers. While the names of the involved groups appeared in written sources, it is largely unknown how these changes affected the daily lives of the people during the 5 th century AD. Did late Roman traditions persist, did new customs emerge, and did both amalgamate into new cultural expressions? A prime area to investigate these population and settlement historical changes is the Carpathian Basin (Hungary). Particularly, we studied archaeological and anthropological evidence, as well as radiogenic and stable isotope ratios of strontium, carbon, and nitrogen of human remains from 96 graves at the cemetery of Mö zs-Icsei dűlő. Integrated data analysis suggests that most members of the founder generation at the site exhibited burial practises of late Antique traditions, even though they were heterogeneous regarding their places of origin and dietary habits. Furthermore, the isotope data disclosed a nonlocal group of people with similar dietary habits. According to the archaeological evidence, they joined the community a few decades after the founder generation and followed mainly foreign traditions with artificial skull modification as their most prominent characteristic. Moreover, individuals with modified skulls and late Antique grave attributes attest to deliberate cultural amalgamation, whereas burials of largely different isotope ratios underline the recipient habitus of the community. The integration of archaeological and bioarchaeological information at the individual level discloses the complex coalescence of people and traditions during the 5 th century.

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The lay of land: Strontium isotope variability in the dietary catchment of the Late Iron Age proto-urban settlement of Basel-Gasfabrik, Switzerland

Cited by 12 publications

References 37 publications

Shipping amphorae and shipping sheep? Livestock mobility in the north-east Iberian peninsula during the Iron Age based on strontium isotopic analyses of sheep and goat tooth enamel

Shipping amphorae and shipping sheep? Livestock mobility in the north-east Iberian peninsula during the Iron Age based on strontium isotopic analyses of sheep and goat tooth enamel

Isotope values of the bioavailable strontium in inland southwestern Sweden—A baseline for mobility studies

Coalescing traditions—Coalescing people: Community formation in Pannonia after the decline of the Roman Empire

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