Showing papers by "T. Douglas Price published in 2012"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present strontium isotope ratios of bones and teeth from modern mice contained in owl pellets, of snail shells, and of archaeological fauna samples.
Abstract: The principles behind the strontium isotopic system are an important tool for archaeologists tracing human migration and patterns of movement in prehistory. However, there are several scientific challenges of analytical nature, as well as those which relate to unknown parameters inherent to the interpretation of such data. One prerequisite is the knowledge of the range of strontium isotopic ratios that best characterize the bioavailable fractions of a particular area of interest. The study reported here attempts to establish a baseline for strontium isotope signatures valuable for Denmark (excluding the island of Bornholm) and particularly for the use in archaeological investigations. We present strontium isotope ratios of bones and teeth from modern mice contained in owl pellets, of snail shells, and of archaeological fauna samples. We compare these ratios with median strontium isotope signatures characterizing human enamel populations from archaeological sites within Denmark. The fauna samples reported here range from 87Sr/86Sr = 0.70717 to 0.71185 with an average of 0.70919, and human enamel defines a range from 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7086 to 0.7110 with an average of 0.7098. In both datasets, we observe a small difference between the baseline values for the western (Jutland) and eastern (Funen, Zealand, and the southern islands) parts of Denmark. We therefore propose two slightly different baseline ranges with a partial overlap for the isotopic signatures of bioavailable strontium fractions within Denmark, namely a range of 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7078–0.7098 for the western area and a range of 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7089–0.7108 for the eastern parts.
91 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a series of isotopic studies of human remains were conducted to obtain information on diet, status, place of origin, and date of burial of 180 individuals from the excavation of an early colonial church and associated burial ground.
Abstract: In AD 2000, construction activities in the central plaza of the city of Campeche, Mexico, led to the discovery of an early colonial church and an associated burial ground dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries AD. During the subsequent rescue excavations, the remains of at least 180 individuals were unearthed from the churchyard. We have concluded a series of isotopic studies of these remains to obtain information on diet, status, place of origin, and date of burial. This work involves the application of both light and heavy isotope analyses to both tooth enamel and human bone. Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios were measured in tooth enamel and bone. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were measured on bone collagen. Strontium and lead isotopes were measured in tooth enamel, and the ratios were compared to a large database for the Maya region. Radiocarbon dates were obtained for 10 of the skeletons to evaluate the date of burial and the period of use of the cemetery. The results of our study, i...
70 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used biogeochemistry to investigate paleomobility and paleodiet in archeological human remains from the ninth to eleventh century levels at the sites at Fishamble Street II (National Museum of Ireland excavation number E172), Fergus Street III (E190) and John's Lane (E173), as well as twelfth-century remains from Wood Quay (E132).
68 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the analysis of strontium isotopes in human tooth enamel from burials in the cemetery as a signal of place of birth is presented, where the burials are evaluated in light of the available archaeological, chronological, anthropological, and isotopic information.
21 citations
29 Jan 2012
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of an investigation into the process of centralization that took place north of the Alps during the Late Hallstatt and Early Latène Culture, conducted within the framework of a special research program.
Abstract: This paper presents the results of an investigation into the process of centralization that took place north of the Alps during the Late Hallstatt and Early Latène Culture, conducted within the framework of a special research program. The focus of the archaeozoological project was on investigating livestock farming and the supply of Early Celtic hillfort sites and their rural environs. The Early Latène site Hochdorf in southwestern Germany, near the princely seat Hohenasperg, was a wealthy settlement characterized by crop farming, stock breeding, wool production, and weaving. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios in Iron Age livestock teeth from Hochdorf indicate that predominantly areas above the geologic unit Keuper were used for pasture, and that some portion of the livestock were probably kept at a distance of about 15–30 km from the site or were imported from further away. The intra-species, intra-individual, and intra-tooth variations reflect movements and non-permanent pastures for cattle, caprines, and even pigs. The high variations among the 87Sr/86Sr values found in livestock render domestic animals not always suited for use in determining the local strontium signature for the region of Hochdorf. Modern snail shell and water samples reflect the local geology nicely; though they too yield highly variable values, too, reflecting the varied geology of the region.
18 citations