The North American Repository for Archaeological Isotopes

Area of Science:

• Bioarchaeology
• Isotope Geochemistry
• Archaeological Science

Background:

• Isotopic analysis of archaeological samples provides crucial data on past human lifeways.
• A comprehensive, accessible database is needed to synthesize existing isotopic data for North America.
• Existing data are fragmented, limiting large-scale research into paleodiet, paleomobility, and paleoenvironments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create the North American Repository for Archaeological Isotopes (NARIA), the largest open-access compilation of bioarchaeological isotopic data.
• To provide a centralized resource for over 28,000 isotopic measurements from North America.
• To facilitate research on paleomobility, paleoenvironment, and paleodiet across more than 12,000 years.

Main Methods:

• Compiled previously reported stable (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O) and radiogenic (87Sr/86Sr) isotope measurements.
• Included data from human, animal, and plant archaeological samples across North America (Canada, Greenland, Mexico, USA).
• Integrated contextual information such as location, chronology, and cultural affiliation for each sample.

Main Results:

• Established NARIA, a database of 28,374 bioarchaeological isotopic measurements.
• The database covers a time span exceeding 12,000 years.
• Data encompass a wide range of archaeological contexts and sample types.

Conclusions:

• NARIA offers significant potential for investigating past human lifeways, including mobility, diet, and environmental interactions.
• The database serves as a valuable tool for identifying spatial and temporal research gaps in North American archaeology.
• NARIA will guide future research directions by highlighting areas needing further isotopic investigation.