On the possibilities of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for analysis of archaeological bones for reconstruction of paleodiet

Chemical Differentiation of Osseous, Dental, and Non-skeletal Materials in Forensic Anthropology using Elemental Analysis

“…Research is being conducted to establish past dietary habits by using stable isotope analysis to detect specific trace element ratios associated with particular dietary patterns [26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. Environmental contaminants, such as F or Pb in the water supply, will also be incorporated into the bone matrix [33].…”

The Diet of Three Medieval Individuals from Caravate (Varese, Italy). Combined Results of ICP‐MS Analysis of Trace Elements and Phytolith Analysis Conducted on Their Dental Calculus

“…In recent years, considerable progress has been made in dietary studies, thanks to the use of instruments such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), by which it is possible to perform a fast and precise analysis of trace elements contained in various types of samples, including teeth and bones. The evaluation of concentration and the isotopic abundances of certain elements to obtain information about past populations is now possible (Lambert et al , ; Klepinger, ; Budd et al , ; Schutkowski et al , ; Szostek and Głąb, ; Szostek et al , ; Djingova et al , ; Webb et al , ; Busetto et al , ; Simonetti et al , ; Corti et al , ; Tomczyk et al , ).…”

On the use of trace elements in ancient necropolis studies: Overview and ICP-MS application to the case study of Valdaro site, Italy

“…Bones can be considered bioarchives since their composition includes, apart from hydroxyapatite, collagen and water, elements such as sodium, magnesium, zinc, strontium, barium and lead that have a direct relationship with the diet [1][2][3]. These elements enter the body only by ingestion of food, are not subjected to post-mortem alterations and, moreover, could be found in detectable amounts in the skeleton.…”