This study measured strontium and oxygen isotopes in human teeth from five Neolithic sites in northern Syria to trace how mobility changed as village life took hold. Communities became broadly local after settlement, with mobility rising again later and a possible bias toward female movement.
Key numbers
- Tooth enamel isotope ratios for the 71 individuals ranged from 0.70735 to 0.70830 (mean 0.70797 plus or minus 0.00016) (Results, p. 3).
- No exposure-relevant strontium concentrations are reported.
Methods (brief)
Enamel was sampled from human teeth; strontium isotope ratios were measured by mass spectrometry and oxygen isotopes on phosphate and carbonate, with local ranges set from faunal and human dentine baselines.
Evidence fitness
Supports strontium isotope ratios as a residence marker. It does not support any exposure or toxicity statement.
Limitations
Archaeological isotope-ratio study; no concentrations or modern foods.
Related evidence
Update history
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