Lead (Pb) Isotope Analysis as a Means of Tracking Animal Migration and Trade in Mesoamerica

Summary

This study examines the first use of lead (Pb) isotope analysis as a means of tracking animal movement and exchange in the Maya area. Strontium and oxygen isotope ratios have been previously used to track animal and human movements archaeologically in Mesoamerica. Lead has been used to track movement and exchange in other parts of the world, and its application to Mesoamerican archaeology holds great potential for refining sourcing strategies. This study identifies local and non-local fauna at the Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala, which has one of the longest occupational sequences of any Maya community (c. 1000 BC – AD 950), allowing for a long-term examination of animal use and exchange. Non-local animals identified at Ceibal are sourced to their potential place of origin using a new lead isotope baseline map for the Maya area. The study reviews the advantages of using the three lead isotope ratios (208, 207, 206Pb/204Pb) in conjunction with strontium (87Sr/86Sr) in Mesoamerica, and examines potential sources of error from modern lead pollution.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Methodological Advances in Isotopic Zooarchaeology

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14531