Theoretical Frameworks for Isotope Data Collection and Interpretation

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This presentation describes the theoretical frameworks for isotope data collection and interpretation that will help archaeological scientists ensure their contributions to forensic investigations are scientifically sound and legally defensible. Archaeological science is now commonly used in forensic settings to reconstruct an unknown individual’s life history. One particularly useful technique is stable isotope ratio analysis, which measures the isotopic signatures of human tissues. These signatures reflect variations in diet and drinking water and their interpretation can provide information on the likely origin of an individual since food and water sources are typically geographically linked. However, for the technique to aid investigators, it is essential that the quality and surety of the isotope test results is sufficient to guarantee their reliability for forensic interpretations. This presentation will highlight good practice overlap between archaeological and forensic applications of stable isotope ratio analysis. Topics discussed include quality control metrics for sample preparation and analysis; assessment of meaningful differences when comparing and compiling isotope data; and minimum requirements for reporting isotope test results.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Intersection of Archaeological Science and Forensic Science   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38461.0