Isotope analysis

Isotope analysis measures the relative abundances of isotopes in archaeological materials. These ratios can reveal geographic origin, diet, and movement.

Stable isotope ratio: The relative abundance of stable isotopes of an element in a sample, often expressed against a standard. Archaeological measurements commonly compare stable-isotope ratios to trace diet and geographic signals.
Strontium isotope analysis: A method that compares strontium isotope ratios in materials with local geological and environmental ranges. It is widely used to investigate where people grew up or animals were raised.
Isotope: One of two or more atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons. Isotope analysis compares variants of the same element rather than different elements.
Ötzi: A Copper Age individual found preserved in an Alpine glacier in 1991. Isotope evidence has contributed to reconstructions of his diet and movements in the Alps.
Isotope mixing model: A quantitative model estimating source contributions to an observed isotope composition. Mixing models help estimate diets when foods have overlapping isotope signatures.
Mass spectrometry: A technique that separates ions by mass-to-charge ratio to identify and quantify substances. It measures isotope abundances in prepared archaeological samples.
Carbon isotope analysis: Analysis of carbon isotope ratios used to investigate diet, ecology, and carbon sources. Carbon ratios in bone collagen and tooth enamel help distinguish dietary plant pathways.
Stable isotope: An isotope that does not undergo radioactive decay. Many archaeological studies use stable isotopes preserved in bones, teeth, and artifacts.
Neolithic transition in Britain: The spread of farming and associated social change in Britain during the Neolithic. Isotope studies of human remains help examine mobility and dietary change during this transition.
Isotope ecology: The study of how isotope patterns vary through ecosystems and reflect biological processes. Ecological variation determines how confidently archaeological values can be linked to particular foods or places.

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