Connecting the Baseline: Applying Radiogenic Strontium (87Sr/86Sr) Isotopes to Irish Archaeological Research

Summary

In Ireland, in the last decade we have seen a proliferation of isotopic studies in Irish bioarchaeology addressing questions such as paleodiet and paleomobility patterns spanning from the Neolithic to Post-Medieval periods. The Irish Isotope Research Group (IIRG), an innovative multidisciplinary group, was set up to tackle some of the limitations in this field of research in Ireland. A comprehensive strontium isotopic baseline has been established in order to better understand the processes affecting strontium isotope variation in the natural environment, for use in the interpretation of (1) environmental biosphere data and (2) biogeochemical data derived from archaeological material.

This poster provides an overview of the pioneering current research being undertaken by members of this group. Comparisons within the United Kingdom and continental Europe will be illustrated to show how Irish baseline data can be applied to related studies in different environments. Ongoing baseline research will be categorized by region, and key areas of interest in Ireland are highlighted. These data will make an original contribution to both Irish geological and archaeological research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

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