Moving on: the contribution of isotope studies to the early Neolithic of Central Europe

Penny Bickle, Daniela Hofmann

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Stable isotope analysis is a new, not-so-secret weapon which promises much in mapping population movement on a regional and local scale. Lining up these movements with certain economic strategies, such as farming or foraging, with social strategies such as exogamy or with ethnicity and ranking constitutes forgivable temptation. Here our astute authors urge caution. Taking the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in south-west Germany as their example, they show that caution does not inhibit interpretation, but opens the door to more subtle, more human possibilities.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1029-41
Number of pages13
JournalAntiquity
Volume81
Issue number314
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2007

Keywords

  • Germany
  • Linearbandkeramik
  • Flomborn
  • Schwetzingen
  • Talheim
  • Vaihingen
  • stable isotope analysis
  • strontium

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