EAA 2021 - session 213 Isoscapes, foodwebs and provenance - isotope archaeology beyond materials and specialisations

The diversity of isotope studies in archaeological research is increasing at a rapid pace. Despite being initially limited to niche roles, applications like dietary reconstruction with stable carbon isotopes, the provenance of raw materials with lead isotopes or radiocarbon dating became popular over time and are now considered standard methods. Advancements in instrumentation, new isotope systems, and novel methods of interpreting data opened up new pathways for reconstructing ancient times. At the same time, standards for working with legacy data and for the publication of high-quality data become more and more critical because both the amount of both, legacy data and new analyses, are rapidly growing. Unfortunately, discussions about good practices remained somewhat limited in isotope archaeology and are either restricted to a small part of the community and/or are happening in neighboring fields. However, many aspects of isotope archaeology are independent of specializations and materials. Moreover, everyday business, publication pressure, and the precariousness of today’s Academia make it hard to find the time for strolling away from one’s specialization, systematically exploring new research fields, and getting inspired by unconventional methodological approaches of colleagues. We, therefore, invite contributions dealing with the application of isotopes to archaeological materials and research questions in the broadest sense possible. This session aims to offer inspiration from and discussion about the work of colleagues you otherwise might only come across by chance and to provide a forum for exchange beyond the borders of specializations and materials.