Tracing the indigenous peoples of Suriname: an application of strontium stable isotope analysis on prehistoric human material from coastal Suriname

In this thesis, strontium stable isotope analysis is conducted on prehistoric human skeletal material (tooth enamel) from the coastal area of Suriname to research patterns of mobility. The human skeletal material is from the Geijskes collection, material which was collected during various excavations in the 1950s and 1960s. The material derives from 24 skeletons from different archaeological sites and different prehistoric cultures from the Arauquinoid Tradition (ca. AD 600 – AD 1492). This study provides the very first strontium stable isotope data for this region and time period. Strontium stable isotopes from enamel reflect diet and environment during childhood. Therefore, it is possible to research mobility based on a difference in the strontium values present in a person’s enamel and the strontium signature of the local environment. While the exact strontium signature of the local environment has yet to be determined from soil, faunal or floral samples, extensive research on...Show moreIn this thesis, strontium stable isotope analysis is conducted on prehistoric human skeletal material (tooth enamel) from the coastal area of Suriname to research patterns of mobility. The human skeletal material is from the Geijskes collection, material which was collected during various excavations in the 1950s and 1960s. The material derives from 24 skeletons from different archaeological sites and different prehistoric cultures from the Arauquinoid Tradition (ca. AD 600 – AD 1492). This study provides the very first strontium stable isotope data for this region and time period. Strontium stable isotopes from enamel reflect diet and environment during childhood. Therefore, it is possible to research mobility based on a difference in the strontium values present in a person’s enamel and the strontium signature of the local environment. While the exact strontium signature of the local environment has yet to be determined from soil, faunal or floral samples, extensive research on the geology and isotope geochemistry of the area, as well as the application of a prediction model, allowed for the establishment of a quite certain local environmental signature. With this local strontium signature, and also by comparing the strontium values of the different individuals, this study identified one non-local individual. The aforementioned data used to establish the local environmental strontium signature was also used to investigate the possible location of origin for the non-local individual. Most likely the individual came from the southern region of Suriname, namely the Guiana Shield. There is a paucity of information about cultures from the southern Suriname region; however, archaeological data has found that a vast trade network was present between the coastal and inland areas. Though a permanent or temporary movement of the non-local individual cannot be established solely based on strontium stable isotopes, the results suggest close contact between these areas. Therefore, the strontium isotope data from this study has both improved our understanding of mobility in the region of Suriname and supported archaeological evidence of trade networks. For one of the archaeological sites, Kwatta Tingiholo (ca. AD 1000 – AD 1400, n=14). The results of the strontium stable isotope analysis were compared in males versus females and in those with and without cranial deformation. No statistically differences were found, providing insight into possible lack of difference between social-cultural variables and location of origin. Future research is needed, particularly additional isotopic data such as oxygen and carbon, and the local strontium signature of Suriname, but this thesis has made the key first step in reconstructing patterns of Suriname palaeomobility upon which a region model can begin to be built.Show less

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Tracing the indigenous peoples of Suriname: an application of strontium stable isotope analysis on prehistoric human material from coastal Suriname