Strontium and nitrogen isotopic evidence of food import to Tell Ashara–Terqa, a Bronze Age city on the Euphrates, Syria
Abstract
Strontium stable isotope values ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) have been measured in tooth enamel samples representing 11 Bronze Age individuals buried at Tell Ashara–Terqa, a major archaeological site in the middle Euphrates valley, eastern Syria. For all analysed individuals, δ 15 N and δ 13 C values for dentin collagen were also available. No 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value exceeds the local environmental range, so there is no evidence of long‐distance migration. Observed statistically significant negative correlation between 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and δ 15 N values suggests that some food consumed by the local population was imported from areas with a much higher precipitation (lower δ 15 N) and a different geological background (higher 87 Sr/ 86 Sr), which is consistent with textual evidence of cereal transportation from farming areas north to Tell Ashara.
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Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of human tissues provides insight into residential mobility and origin at the individual level and allows extrapolations to large-scale socio-political dynamics.
“Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of human tissues provides insight into residential mobility and origin on the individual level, allowing extrapolations into largescale socio-political dynamics [36–40].”
From Who were the Hyksos? Challenging traditional narratives using strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of human remains from ancient Egypt (2020) · cites this paper as [38]
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Stantis, C., Kharobi, A., Maaranen, N., Nowell, G. M., Bietak, M., Prell, S., & Schutkowski, H. (2020) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0235414 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
- Authors
- Sołtysiak, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Warsaw (PL)
- Corresponding author
- Sołtysiak, Arkadiusz
- ORCID
- Sołtysiak, Arkadiusz
- Venue
- International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-10-31
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 127-133
- ISSN
- 1047-482X (ISSN-L)
- 1099-1212
- OpenAlex
- W2896584342
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4
- FWCI
- 1.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Narodowe Centrum Nauki (2012/06/M/HS3/00272)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Keywords
- strontium isotopes, nitrogen isotopes, carbon isotopes, Bronze Age, Euphrates valley, dental enamel, dentin collagen, long-distance migration
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