Potential of non-traditional isotope studies for bioarchaeology
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Potential of non-traditional isotope studies for bioarchaeology Klervia Jaouen 1 & Marie-Laure Pons 2
Received: 31 March 2016 / Accepted: 20 October 2016 # The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Abstract As a consequence of recent developments in mass spectrometry, the application of non-traditional stable isotope systems (e.g. Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Sr, Zn) as well as radiogenic isotopes to archaeological materials is now possible. These techniques have opened new perspectives in bioarchaeology and can provide information on metabolism, diet and the mobility of past individuals. This review demonstrates this potential and describes the principle of these new analytical approaches. In addition, we emphasize how the Bnontraditional^ stable isotope systems compare and contrast with classic isotopic analyses. Keywords Archaeological sciences . Metal stable isotopes . Tracers . Diet . Mobility . Metabolism
Introduction Notion of traditional and non-traditional isotopes The notion of traditional and non-traditional isotopes is usually applied to stable isotopes, which remain stable through Klervia Jaouen and Marie-Laure Pons contributed equally. * Klervia Jaouen [email protected] * Marie-Laure Pons [email protected] 1
Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz, 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
2
Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge University, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
time, as opposed to radioactive isotopes that decay into a daughter isotope from a different element. This resulting daughter element is radiogenic. Radiogenic isotope abundances are typically expressed as the ratio of the radiogenic isotope of interest to a stable isotope of the same element (e.g. 87 Sr/86Sr). For stable isotope systems, the isotopic abundance is mostly measured in terms of delta notation (e.g. δ18O). If a radiogenic isotope is involved, then the results are usually expressed as isotopic ratios. For several decades, radiogenic isotopes strontium (Sr) and lead (Pb) and stable isotopes of light elements (hydrogen (H), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), sulphur (S)) were the main isotopic systems studied in human remains (Fig. 1). Detection of natural stable isotope abundances for elements of masses greater than 40 amu was very difficult until recently. Two decades ago, the development of multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) methods made the measurements of natural stable isotopic ratios for elements up to uranium easier (e.g. Ca: Skulan et al. 1997 (TIMS); Halicz et al. 1999 (ICP-MS); copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn): Maréchal et al. 1999 (ICP-MS); iron (Fe): Walczyk 1997; Beard and Johnson 1999; Johnson and Beard 1999 (TIMS); Belshaw et al. 2000 (ICP-MS); magnesium (Mg): Richter et al. 1999 (TIMS); Galy et al. 2001 (ICP-MS)). These newly measured isotopes have been collectively referred to as Bnontraditional stable isotopes^ (Albarède
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