Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Isotope ratios of tooth enamel from ten Early Neolithic individuals buried in a long cairn at Whitwell in central England were measured to determine where they sourced their childhood diet. Five individuals have low Sr concentrations (11–66 ppm) and high 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7164–0.7212). Three individuals have relatively low 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.712–0.711) and Sr concentrations ranging between 54 and 109 ppm. Two individuals have strontium isotope values that bridge the gap between the isotope compositions of these two groups. The high 87Sr/86Sr values are rare in human enamel and exclude sources within the biosphere of central England. Oxygen isotope values are comparable to those found within human archaeological populations buried in temperate regions of Europe. The strontium isotope results should be interpreted in the context of other evidence for migration from northern France to Britain during the Early Neolithic.
Highlights
Radiocarbon dating indicates that farming became established in Britain during the first few centuries of the fourth millennium BC (Bayliss et al, 2011: 833–36; Bradley et al, 2015)
The values found at Whitwell do, contrast with oxygen isotope ratios found amongst human burial populations associated with regions of cooler climate in Europe (e.g. Scandinavia: Montgomery et al, 2014; Chenery et al, 2014; Price & Naumann, 2015; or the Alps: Müller et al, 2003), where much lower values can be recorded (δ18Ocarbonate below approximately 24.5‰ or δ18Ophosphate below approximately 15.5‰)
The majority of the individuals buried in the Whitwell cairn have strontium isotope ratios higher than 0.7170
Summary
Radiocarbon dating indicates that farming became established in Britain during the first few centuries of the fourth millennium BC (Bayliss et al, 2011: 833–36; Bradley et al, 2015). The transition to an agricultural subsistence regime was associated with the importation of non-native domesticated species of plants and animals from the European mainland, including sheep and cereals (Tresset & Vigne, 2011: 184; Tresset, 2015). This was accompanied by a radical transformation in both technology and culture during the early fourth millennium BC, with the introduction of new traditions into Britain from the European mainland, including pottery production and the construction of burial monuments (Scarre, 2015). Recent comparative analysis of pottery suggests that new traditions and practices were introduced during the early fourth
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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.
