[H-TT18] Development and application of environmental traceability methods

[HTT18-P08] Identifying immigrants through strontium isotope analysis on human skeletal remains of Hobi and Ikawazu shell mounds

*Soichiro Kusaka¹, Tsutomu Saito², Eriko Ishimaru³, Yasuhiro Yamada⁴ (1.Tokai Univ., 2.Nat. Mus. Jap. His., 3.Hiroshima Univ. Mus., 4.Tokyo Met. Univ.)

Keywords:Strontium, Isotope, Human bone

Many human skeletal remains of the Late–Final Jomon period have been found in shell mounds in the Atsumi Peninsula of Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Several types of burials have been found, such as mass burial and bone gathering burial like a square board (“Banjo-shuseki” burial). In this study, strontium isotope analysis was performed to reveal the meanings of Banjo-shuseki burials. The materials included 22 samples of tooth enamel and bones from the Hobi shell mound, and 30 samples from the Ikawazu shell mound. The concentration of calcium and strontium was measured, as were strontium isotope ratios. The results indicated that the tooth enamel from the Banjo-shuseki burial exhibited higher strontium isotope ratios than those of tooth enamel from the single burial in Hobi. The tooth enamel from the Banjo-shuseki burial and a mass burial in Ikawazu included some individuals with higher strontium isotope ratios. Since these values were higher than the range of the values of human bone samples, modern plants around sites, and enamel of terrestrial animals, the higher isotope ratios indicate the possibility that they have grown in another place and buried in the sites. The individuals in the Banjo-shuseki burials may include immigrants who grew up in other areas or their diets incorporated food from other areas.