Establishing radiogenic strontium isotope signatures for Chavín de Huántar, Peru

Abstract

The current manuscript reports the first bioavailable radiogenic strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) data for Chavín de Huántar, a U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage site long recognized as one of the most important ceremonial centers of the Andean Formative Period. 87Sr/86Sr ratios were measured in local soil, vegetation, and archaeological and modern fauna from in and around the archaeological site. 87Sr/86Sr signatures from human tooth enamel from five Mariash-Recuay era (1–700 CE) individuals also were generated. Results indicate that 87Sr/86Sr values among soil, plants, and animals are relatively uniform, although the range of 87Sr/86Sr ratios within each category is broad. While in the present study, non-migrants and migrants were distinguishable based on their 87Sr/86Sr values, the wide range of Chavín's bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr signature might hinder the differentiation of local and non-local individuals in subsequent analyses. We caution that future 87Sr/86Sr applications at Chavín should consider both bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr signatures calculated from fauna, plants, and soil along with statistically analyzed human data when investigating evidence for residential mobility in the archaeological record.