For this episode, Dr. Chris Stantis (University of Bournemouth) talks to us about her work using isotopic analyses to understand how people lived, moved and ate in the past. This is because stable isotope data can indicate for us clues about the environment surrounding ancient humans and what they were doing.

Currently, Chris is working on analyzing an Egyptian burial assemblage known as the Hyksos Dynasty who ruled c. 1638 –1530 BCE in the Second Intermediate Period. How can strontium and oxygen isotope ratios help us understand who was living at the site of Tell el-Dab’a and where they came from? How much tooth or bone is needed for isotopic analyses and how long does that process take? What are Chris’ favorite aspects and biggest challenges of doing this scientific research and where are these investigations going next?

Listen to the episode below, or subscribe to our RSS feed. You can also listen on Spotify, Stitcher, iTunes or anywhere else you typically find podcasts!

Show notes

If you have feedback or questions for Chris, you can find her on Twitter or her university department page. You can also read up about one of her recent articles on The Conversation looking into breastfeeding practices in the Near East during the Bronze Age.

You can find Michael on Twitter and Instagram too.

The Arch and Anth Podcast is on Twitter and Instagram, and it has a Facebook page.

If you liked this episode and you want to help contribute to the show, please visit the Patreon page for details on how to do that.