Seasonality of human site occupation based on stable oxygen isotope ratios of cod otoliths

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“…This study is one of the first to use archaeological fish otoliths to determine the seasonality of fishing in the southeastern United States (for seasonal studies that used otoliths in other regions see, Erlandson, 1994: 103;Van Neer, Löu-gas, and Rijnsdorp, 1999;Van Neer et al, 2004;Hufthammer et al, 2010 Despite more than three decades of archaeological research on St. Catherines Island, there are still questions about the residential mobility of late prehistoric populations. Ethnohistoric accounts of late 16th-century coastal Georgia societies are open to interpretation; some researchers posit that the Guale people moved residences on a seasonal basis following available resources, while others suggest Guale lived in dispersed but permanent settlements.…”

Vertebrates

“…As with other organisms that grow episodically, pairs of increments are interpreted as evidence of fast growth during optimal conditions and slow growth during less optimal ones (e.g., Higham and Horn 2000 ;Hillson 2005 :250;Hufthammer et al 2010 ;Chaps. 8 and 11 ) .…”

Limiting the impact of destructive analytical techniques through sequential microspatial sampling of the enamel from single teeth

“…In terms of stable isotope and trace element research, some researchers have moved away from the traditional bulk sampling approaches that see entire teeth and/or tooth crowns destroyed, and toward other techniques which are less destructive. Some of these techniques may involve mechanical grinding and drilling of small areas within a sample (Hufthammer et al 2010), or acid dissolution of successive layers of tissue. While chemical analyses such as electron probe x-ray microanalysis (EPXMA), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), proton-induced x-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE), or synchrotron x-ray fluorescence (sXRF), have all been applied to the analysis of the chemical composition of dental tissues, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma -mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is the most commonly utilized technique for conducting microspatial analyses of dental hard tissues (Lochner et al 1999;Goodman et al 2003;Kang et al 2004;Grün et al 2008;Humphrey et al 2008;Dolphin and Goodman 2009;Hare et al 2011;Vašinová Galiová et al 2012;Austin et al 2013;Farell et al 2013 analyses, pollutant exposure data gathered using trace element analyses (LA-ICP-MS), assessment of tissue preservation using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and isotopic analyses of δ 18 O and δ 13 C contributed data regarding origins/migration and palaeodiet, respectively.…”