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7 - Isotopic Approaches to Mobility in Northern Africa

A Bioarchaeological Examination of Egyptian/Nubian Interaction in the Nile Valley

from Part II - Looking East

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2019

By
Michele R. Buzon ,
Sarah A. Schrader  and
Gabriel J. Bowen
Edited by
M. C. Gatto ,
D. J. Mattingly ,
N. Ray  and
M. Sterry
M. C. Gatto
Affiliation:
University of Leicester
D. J. Mattingly
Affiliation:
University of Leicester
N. Ray
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
M. Sterry
Affiliation:
University of Durham
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Summary

Interaction between the peoples of northern Africa has thrived for millennia; isotopic analysis of skeletal remains is an excellent method to examine this interface and better understand the associated social implications. Here, we discuss the applicability of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope analysis to osteological specimens. These elements, characterised by geological, locale-specific, atomic ratios, are incorporated into human dental enamel during young adulthood and into bone continuously via food and/or water. This information can then be compared to the individual’s place of burial and, thus, can infer mobility and identity.

Specifically, we address migration between Egypt and Nubia during various periods. The Upper Nubian archaeological site of Tombos, located on the Third Cataract of the Nile in modern Sudan (Fig. 7.1), functioned as an Egyptian colonial outpost during the New Kingdom Period (1550–1069 BC).

Type
Chapter
Information
Burials, Migration and Identity in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond , pp. 223 - 246
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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