Strontium Isotopes from the Earth to the Archaeological Skeleton: A Review

• Published in: Journal of archaeological method and theory Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 135 - 187
• Main Author: Bentley, R. Alexander
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer 01-09-2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Archaeology; Bones; Ecology; Geological time; Geology; Human remains; Humans; Isotopes; Migration; Residential mobility; Rocks; Skeleton; Strontium; Strontium isotopes; Teeth; Tooth enamel; Weathering processes
• ISSN: 1072-5369; 1573-7764
• DOI: 10.1007/s10816-006-9009-x

Strontium isotope analysis of archaeological skeletons has provided useful and exciting results in archaeology in the last 20 years, particularly by characterizing past human migration and mobility. This review covers the biogeochemical background, including the origin of strontium isotope compositions in rocks, weathering and hydrologic cycles that transport strontium, and biopurification of strontium from to soils, to plants, to animals and finally into the human skeleton, which is subject to diagenesis after burial. Spatial heterogeneity and mixing relations must often be accounted for, rather than simply "matching" a measured strontium isotope value to a presumed single-valued geologic source. The successes, limitations and future potential of the strontium isotope technique are illustrated through case studies from geochemistry, biogeochemistry, ecology and archaeology.