UGA Anthropology professor Suzanne Pilaar Birch is the senior author of a new study that helps uncover how people moved across ancient Türkiye. Working with UGA alumnus and co-author Maxwell Davis and other collaborators, the team improved the chemical mapping tools archaeologists use to study ancient mobility. The method they used is called strontium isotope analysis. Strontium is a natural element found in rocks, soil, water, and plants and when people eat local food and drink local water, small amounts of strontium build up in their bones and teeth. Because different regions have slightly different types (or isotopes) of strontium, scientists can use it like a chemical fingerprint to figure out where someone lived. But to do this well, researchers need accurate maps called isoscapes that show how strontium varies across the landscape. The team pulled together hundreds of data points from earlier studies and research archives to create the most detailed strontium map of Türkiye ever made. This improved map helps archaeologists identify where ancient people came from with much greater accuracy, especially in areas with complex geology like central Türkiye. Their work shows that without strong baseline data, researchers can easily misinterpret whether ancient individuals were “locals” or newcomers. The study brings us closer to understanding how people moved, interacted, and built their lives in the ancient world and how the land itself left a trace in their bones.
