Strontium isotope analyses of archaeological cremated remains - new data and perspectives

Cremated human remains are commonly found in the archaeological records, especially in Europe during the Metal Ages and the Roman period. Due to the high temperatures reached during cremation (up to 1000 degrees C), most biological information locked in the isotopic composition of different tissues is heavily altered or even destroyed. The recent demonstration that strontium isotope ratio (Sr-87/Sr-86) remain unaltered during cremation and are even very resistant to postburial alterations (which is not the case in unburned bone), opened new possibility for palaeomobility studies of ancient populations that practice cremations as a funerary ritual. This paper summarizes strontium isotopic data produced over the last decade which is then deposited on the open-access platform IsoArcH (https://isoarch.eu/) for any interested parties to use. It is the first time isotopic data on cremated remains is introduced in this database, significantly extending its impact on the scientific community. (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.

Automated summary

This paper summarizes the strontium isotopic data generated over the past decade on cremated remains and introduces the inclusion of these data into the IsoArcH database. The study found that strontium isotope ratios remain unchanged during cremation, providing new possibilities for studying mobility patterns of ancient populations practicing cremations as a funerary ritual.