Abstract
The question of whether rock grit ingested unintentionally from querns, metates or millstones, or deliberately through pica or geophagy, is bioaccessible in the human gut has not been addressed in archaeological strontium (Sr) isotope studies. This study employed the unified bioaccessibility method and determined that ingested rock grit can provide bioaccessible 87Sr/86Sr, but that unintentional consumption is unlikely to constitute > 1% of the diet (by mass) and will not significantly change, that is, by > 0.001, human skeletal 87Sr/86Sr. The use of locally or non‐locally sourced querns or millstones will not affect the interpretation of archaeological human 87Sr/86Sr values in Britain.
Highlights
Strontium (Sr) isotope analysis is used to track the movement and provenance of modern and ancient humans and animals
The unified bioaccessibility method (UBM) method has shown that Sr in rock grit, whether accidently ingested via the use of grinding stones or deliberately through pica or geophagy, is rendered bioaccessible by the strong acids of the human gut
A significant alteration of human skeletal 87Sr/86Sr as a result of ingested rock Sr circumventing the transmission via plants is likely to occur only in unusual behaviours such as pica, geophagy or the deliberate contamination of food
Summary
Strontium (Sr) isotope analysis is used to track the movement and provenance of modern and ancient humans and animals. Surface rocks of different ages and lithology will produce geographical variation in the biosphere 87Sr/86Sr (e.g., Aberg 1995; Capo et al 1998; Beard and Johnson 2000; Bentley 2006; Evans et al 2010, 2018). This variation is traceable through the diet and into body tissues. Animals and humans are not passive receptors of environmental Sr, but make choices about when and where they source the components of their diet. This multiplicity of options and events are distilled into the single measured 87Sr/86Sr that is obtained from tissues such as tooth enamel
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
