Isotope analysis

An isotope analysis measures the levels of variants of the elements strontium, sulphur, nitrogen and carbon in skeletons and teeth. The substances measured by the analysis accumulate in the body when we eat and drink. They are present in groundwater, in the bedrock and in vegetation and animals.

Studies of carbon isotopes tell us whether a person has mostly eaten marine animals – such as seals, crustaceans, fish, seabirds – or land animals. Nitrogen shows the distribution between a vegetable and an animal diet. The levels of sulphur and strontium reflect the geographical circumstances of where a person grew up.