ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some case studies in which strontium isotopes are used to investigate mobility in Classical period Jordan and aims to evaluate whether these geologic zones accurately reflect emic ethnic identities and local identification of ‘foreign’ versus ‘local’ individuals. Heavy strontium isotopes pass through the food chain unchanged, and thus the strontium in skeletal tissues can reflect the geological region where the organism lived during tissue growth and development. Chemical signatures such as strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in human skeletal tissue similarly can provide valuable indicators of human migration in Antiquity, particularly in regions with high levels of mobility, such as the Near East. Historical and archaeological evidence from the Classical Near East emphasises language, adoption of Graeco-Roman culture, subsistence patterns, and provincial, familial, and/or tribal fellowship as major factors in creating local identities. Archaeological application of 87Sr/86Sr ratios has seen the most applications for assessing ancient human migration.
