Mobility and Strontium Isotopes

Radiogenic strontium isotopes ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are used to directly analyze mobility patterns of past peoples to assess population dynamics, exchange, conflict, sociopolitical organization, and cultural interactions. The strontium isotopic composition of rocks and minerals varies across space, and these differences are subsequently incorporated into human and faunal skeletal tissues from the foods and water consumed by an individual. Most mobility studies today employ radiogenic strontium isotopes in conjunction with other isotopic measures of mobility, such as oxygen and lead. This entry describes the underlying principles of radiogenic strontium analysis in archaeology, discusses current trends in the literature, and outlines possible future applications of radiogenic strontium isotopes in archaeology.