Identifying strontium baselines and large game animal trade at Fremont sites through strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis

Abstract

Strontium isotope analysis can suggest which large game individuals were obtained locally by prehistoric hunters and which were brought to habitation sites through long-distance hunting or trade. This study explores the potential of using strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis to determine whether the Fremont obtained some non-local large game at habitation sites. The Fremont were a diverse group of people who practiced hunting and horticulture from 500 to 1300 CE in what is now modern Utah. The transport of large game by Fremont hunters is examined at two sites: Five Finger Ridge in central Utah and Wolf Village in northern Utah. The results suggest that Fremont hunters obtained at least some large game individuals from areas away from their habitations, potentially through trade. The results of this study are regionally relevant for presenting previously unpublished results of strontium isotope analysis in Utah, a topic rarely explored. The research is also broadly relevant by showcasing potential complications with tracking prehistoric trade in locations with similar geology on a wide-scale, and dissimilar geology on a small-scale.