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GEOGRAPHICAL PATTERNS IN BIOLOGICALLY AVAILABLE STRONTIUM, CARBON AND OXYGEN ISOTOPE SIGNATURES IN PREHISTORIC SW GERMANY*
Author(s) -
BENTLEY R. A.,
KNIPPER C.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2005.00223.x
Subject(s) - strontium , isotopes of strontium , isotopes of oxygen , prehistory , carbonate , isotopes of carbon , δ13c , radiocarbon dating , altitude (triangle) , geology , sedimentary rock , archaeology , physical geography , mineralogy , total organic carbon , stable isotope ratio , geochemistry , paleontology , chemistry , environmental chemistry , geography , physics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , organic chemistry
In order to interpret strontium and oxygen isotope values in Neolithic human skeletons analysed previously, we begin to map the biologically available strontium, carbon and oxygen isotopic signatures of prehistoric southern Germany by analysing tooth enamel of pigs from archaeological sites distributed around the region. The mapping shows a marked upland–lowland difference in biologically available87Sr/86Sr values, ranging between 0.7086 and 0.7103 in the sedimentary lowlands, and from 0.710 to as high as 0.722 in the crystalline uplands of the Odenwald, the Black Forest and the Bavarian Forest. In addition, carbon isotopes in the carbonate fraction of pig enamel were generally about 1–2 more enriched in13C in the uplands. Despite the expected depletion of18O with altitude, oxygen isotopes in pig enamel showed little correlation with site altitude, although for pig samples not older than the Iron Age there was some geographical correlation with δ 18 O patterns in modern precipitation.