The origin of the Juch'uypampa Cave mummies: strontium isotope analysis of archaeological human remains from Bolivia

Knudson, Kelly J.; Tung, Tiffiny A.; Nystrom, Kenneth C.; Price, T. Douglas; Fullagar, Paul D.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2005.01.007

Cited by 91 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…To minimize the potential effects of diagenesis, we mechanically removed the outer layers of bone and tooth samples, and subjected them to chemical cleaning. As well, our study focuses on interior sections of well-preserved cortical bone, and enamel, minimizing the potential effects of diagenetic changes to isotopic values (Knudson et al, 2005 Apatite preparation started with the same cleaned bone, which was powdered in an agate mortar and pestle. Approximately .04 g of bone powder was placed in a weighed centrifuge vial.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing the mobility of individuals using stable isotope signatures in biological tissues: “locals” and “non-locals” in an ancient case of violent death from Central California

Eerkens

Barfod

Jorgenson

et al. 2014

Journal of Archaeological Science

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a b s t r a c tStable isotope analyses of biological tissues that grow during different phases of life can be used to trace the geographic location of individuals during different windows of time. We apply this principle and reexamine three prehistoric skeletons excavated in 1964 from archaeological site CA-YOL-117 in Central California. Field evidence suggests they were killed as part of a single violent event. We report new radiocarbon dates and Strontium, Oxygen, Carbon, and Nitrogen isotopic data from first molars, third molars, and bone to examine circumstances surrounding their death. Data suggest two of the three individuals were born, and all three lived their teenage years, near the site they were buried in. However, as adults they lived elsewhere, likely to the north along the Sacramento River. Around AD 1450, upon returning to the territory of their childhood years, they were killed and placed in a mass grave. The data invite a more nuanced interpretation of how we view "local" and "non-local" individuals archaeologically. Overall, the analysis provides an interesting glimpse into the nature of warfare and violence among pre-contact hunteregatherers of Northern California.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing the mobility of individuals using stable isotope signatures in biological tissues: “locals” and “non-locals” in an ancient case of violent death from Central California

Eerkens

Barfod

Jorgenson

et al. 2014

Journal of Archaeological Science

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“…In archeology, the Sr isotopic composition can be used to identify migrants and to examine movements of individuals (Bentley et al, , 2003Knudson et al, 2004Knudson et al, , 2005Kusaka et al, 2011;Montgomery et al, 2007;Müller et al, 2003;Price et al, 2000Price et al, , 2006aPrice et al, , 2006bSchweissing and Grupe, 2003;Tafuri et al, 2006;Tung and Knudson, 2008;Wright, 2005). Such information, in turn, provides insight into the dynamics and economy of past populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr in different environmental samples — Effects of anthropogenic contamination and implications for isoscapes in past migration studies

Maurer

Galer

Knipper

et al. 2012

Science of The Total Environment

213

190

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Sr/ 86 Sr reference maps (isoscapes) are a key tool for investigating past human and animal migrations. However, there is little understanding of which biosphere samples are best proxies for local bioavailable Sr when dealing with movements of past populations. In this study, biological and geological samples (ground vegetation, tree leaves, rock leachates, water, soil extracts, as well as modern and archeological animal teeth and snail shells) were collected in the vicinity of two early medieval cemeteries ("Thuringians", 5-6th century AD) in central Germany, in order to characterize 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of the local biosphere. Animal tooth enamel is not appropriate in this specific context to provide a reliable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr baseline for investigating past human migration. Archeological faunal teeth data (pig, sheep/goat, and cattle) indicates a different feeding area compared to that of the human population and modern deer teeth 87 Sr/ 86 Sr such as freshwater bivalve shells and tree cores were examined in order to track potential historic anthropogenic contamination of the water and the vegetation. The data obtained from the archeological bivalve shells show that the modern rivers yield 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios which are similar to those of the past. However, the tree cores registered decreasing 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values over time towards present day likely mirroring anthropogenic activities such as forest liming, coal mining and/or soil acidification. The comparison of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of the Thuringian skeletons excavated in the same area also shows that the vegetation samples are very likely anthropogenically influenced to some extent, affecting especially 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of the shallow rooted plants.

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“…Instead, this study aims to establish the geographic origin of carp consumed in Sagalassos using Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in the inorganic fraction of archaeological mammal teeth and bones have become established methods in palaeoecological and palaeobiological research. The two tracers have been used for the study of seasonal mobility, population dynamics and habitat utilization by prehistoric populations (Balasse et al, 2002;Bentley and Knipper, 2005;Hoogewerff et al, 2001;Knudson et al, 2005;Price et al, 2000;Schweissing and Grupe, 2003;White et al, 1998), procurement distance for construction timber and food (Benson et al, 2003;Reynolds et al, 2005) or migration of ancient elephant populations (Hoppe et al, 1999). However, the approach has never been used to document the former exploitation of aquatic resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxygen and strontium isotopes as provenance indicators of fish at archaeological sites: the case study of Sagalassos, SW Turkey

Dufour

Holmden

Neer

et al. 2007

Journal of Archaeological Science

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In this paper, we investigate the potential use of oxygen and strontium isotope ratios (d 18 O p and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) measured in archaeological fish enamel as provenance indicators. d 18 O p and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr were measured in a suite of archaeological carp remains recovered from the Anatolian townsite of Sagalassos dated to the Early Byzantine period (AD 450e650) and compared to that of modern fish, river and lake waters from the Anatolian region. We used sequential leaches in weak acetic acid to remove diagenetic Sr from fossil tooth enamel, monitoring the effectiveness of this approach by measuring the Sr/Ca ratios of the leachates via an isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry method (ID-TIMS). d 18 O p values mostly excluded a riverine origin. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of one fish overlapped with the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signatures of two lakes in the Anatolian region, and at least one lake (Gölcük) could be removed as a candidate owing to a very distinctive 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signature not found in any of the fish remains. Most of the tooth samples analyzed could not be assigned a precise geographical origin since the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios measured in enamel did not match that of any of the local lakes selected as potential origin. This result suggests that carp may have originated from lakes that have not yet been sampled, although this conclusion is not supported by other archaeological evidence. Alternatively, the lack of correspondence between lakes and fish Sr isotope ratios highlights several possible sources of uncertainties including spatial heterogeneity in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio within a lake, the contribution of dietary strontium to the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of fish tooth enamel, and post-mortem alteration of the tooth Sr isotope signal during fossilization. In spite of the high precision of the strontium isotope analyses and the wide range of variation in the surface waters of the Anatolian lakes and rivers, this method may remain limited to distinguishing between lakes situated in regions of bedrock of very distinct age and geology until these sources of uncertainty are more fully investigated.

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The origin of the Juch'uypampa Cave mummies: strontium isotope analysis of archaeological human remains from Bolivia

Cited by 91 publications

References 68 publications

Tracing the mobility of individuals using stable isotope signatures in biological tissues: “locals” and “non-locals” in an ancient case of violent death from Central California

Tracing the mobility of individuals using stable isotope signatures in biological tissues: “locals” and “non-locals” in an ancient case of violent death from Central California

Bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr in different environmental samples — Effects of anthropogenic contamination and implications for isoscapes in past migration studies

Oxygen and strontium isotopes as provenance indicators of fish at archaeological sites: the case study of Sagalassos, SW Turkey

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