Assessing the Applicability of Lead Isotope Data from Animal Teeth in the Maya Region

Abstract

The analysis of lead isotopes (206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb) in ancient enamel and bone is a relatively new technique for tracking lead exposure, as well as the movement of animals across the landscape. The methods and limitations for lead isotope testing on ancient faunal remains are still being explored. Lead isotopes in archaeological faunal material are prone to two types of contamination, namely diagenesis and modern anthropogenic pollutants. Special techniques must therefore be implemented to assure the quality and reproducibility of lead isotope results. This study assesses the lead isotope and trace elements results from animal teeth recovered from the ancient Maya sites of Ceibal and Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala, and Cerros in Belize. These sites cover a range of geologic and geographic variables. Lead isotopes are compared across different chronological phases and among different species. These variables allow us to assess the quality of lead isotope data for mobility studies in a region that did not have high concentrations of lead in the environment until the last hundred years.