Strontium Isotope Analysis On Human Skeletal Remains From The Hobi and Ikawazu Shell-Mounds in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

9/13/23, 8:44 PM Strontium isotope analysis on human skeletal remains from the Hobi and Ikawazu shell-mounds in Aichi
s in Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Abstract
Many human skeletal remains of the Late–Final Jomon period have been found in shell-mounds on the Atsumi peninsula in
Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Several types of burials have been found, such as mass burial and bone-gathering burials arranged like
a square board (banjo-shuseki burial). In this study, strontium isotope analysis was performed to reveal the meanings of banjo-
shuseki burials. The materials included 22 samples of tooth enamel and bones from the Hobi shell-mound, and 30 samples from
the Ikawazu shell-mound. The concentration of calcium and strontium was measured, as were the strontium isotope ratios. The
results indicated that the tooth enamel from the banjo-shuseki burial exhibited higher strontium isotope ratios than those of
tooth enamel from the single burial in Hobi. The tooth enamel from the banjo-shuseki burial and a mass burial in Ikawazu
included some individuals with higher strontium isotope ratios. These ratios were higher than the range of the values of human
bone samples, modern plants around the sites, and the enamel of terrestrial animals, indicating the possibility that these people
grew up in a different place to the sites where they were buried. The individuals in the banjo-shuseki burials may include
immigrants who grew up in other areas or their diets incorporated food from other areas.
Introduction
Many shell-mounds of the Jomon period have been found around Mikawa Bay in Aichi Prefecture (Toizumi, 2000; Iwase,
2008). Many human skeletal remains of the Late–Final Jomon period have been excavated from the Hobi, Ikawazu, and
Yoshigo shell-mounds on the Atsumi peninsula, and can be used to reconstruct the subsistence and mortuary practices of the
Jomon period. The shell-mounds include archaeological remains of animal bones, lithic tools, and pottery, with little evidence
of pit-dwellings.
One burial style of the Final Jomon period consists of a gathering of bones that resembles a square board (banjo-shuseki in
Japanese). This is a secondary burial, with the edges of the square formed from long bones of multiple individuals. Some
pieces of cranial bone were placed at the corners of the square. The banjo-shuseki burial was named from the burials found in
the Yoshigo shell-mounds (Kiyono, 1925). Other mass burials (shuseki in Japanese) discovered are also secondary burials that
include multiple semi-articulated and disarticulated individuals arranged in non-square forms. Banjo-shuseki burials were
excavated from sites in Aichi Prefecture (Harunari, 1988; Shitara, 1993). Three banjo-shuseki burials and two mass burials
have been found at Hobi, and two banjo-shuseki burials and one mass burial have been found at Ikawazu (Ehara et al.,
1988; Tahara City Board of Education, 2017). The meaning of secondary burials with multiple individuals is considered to
indicate monumental burials formed when several small populations are assembled at a site (Yamada, 1995). The difference in
pilasteric femur size between single burials and banjo-shuseki burials suggests the possibility that they included individuals of
specific social groups, activity roles, or genealogical relationships (Mizushima et al., 2004). Further consideration of the
meaning of banjo-shuseki burials requires research with several methods that investigate diet, migration, and age.
One of the prehistoric customs observed in human skeletal remains is ritual tooth ablation. This custom is recorded on most
human skeletal remains during the Late–Final Jomon period in the Tokai region. Ritual tooth ablation is categorized into five
types (Harunari, 1979). Type 0 refers to the extraction of two upper canines. Since most adults extract these teeth, type 0 is
considered to be a custom at the coming-of-age ceremony. In addition to the two upper canines, the extraction of four lower
incisors is called type 4I, and the extraction of two lower canines is called type 2C. The extraction of four incisors and two
canines is called type 4I2C, and two central incisors and two canines, type 2C2I. Once ritual tooth ablation was considered to
mean that local type 4I and immigrant type 2C were married (Harunari, 1979), but recently, the expression of moiety groups
has been considered (Tanaka, 1998; Harunari, 2013). The possibility of the meaning of kin-related groups has also been
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 1/14

9/13/23, 8:44 PM Strontium isotope analysis on human skeletal remains from the Hobi and Ikawazu shell-mounds in Aichi Prefecture, Japan
proposed (Yamada, 2008; Temple et al., 2011). Tooth filing was a custom of grinding two gaps on the upper central incisors
and a gap on the upper lateral incisors. Tooth filing is considered to mean that individuals had leading positions in a group
based on special expressions (Suzuki, 1940).
Strontium isotope analysis is a powerful tool for identifying immigrants in the human skeletal population (Bentley, 2006).
Four isotopes of strontium exist, with the strontium isotope ratio 87Sr/86Sr being of interest here. Strontium is a non-essential
element of the living body, and bones and teeth contain strontium substituting for calcium. Strontium, which is supplied to the
environment by weathering rocks, circulates in an ecological system, and slight isotope enrichment between prey and predators
can be corrected through the isotopic measurements. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of animal body tissue is the same as that found in the
local geology. Hence the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of animals can be used to identify the geographical locations where the analyzed tissue
is formed. The enamel of the human tooth forms during childhood and is not remodeled during adulthood. However, the bones
of humans are remodeled during adulthood. Tooth enamel records the isotopic signature of the living place during childhood,
while bones record the place during adulthood. Because tooth enamel has a compact structure, the diagenetic effect on
strontium isotope ratios is negligible. By contrast, the bones have a porous structure, and the diagenetic effect may change the
original isotopic signature. However, both the strontium isotope ratios of local individuals and those of the diagenetic effect
that originate from local sediments and underground water are similar local signals, and the values of bones can be used to set
the local isotopic range to identify immigrants.
Strontium isotope analysis has been conducted on human skeletal remains from Yoshigo and Inariyama shell-mounds in
Aichi Prefecture (Kusaka et al., 2009, 2011). The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of modern plants around Mikawa Bay show large variation
according to the geology (Figure 1; Kusaka et al., 2009, 2011). The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of seawater and marine animals has a value
of 0.70918, in the Jomon period as well as the present. The values of terrestrial animals were estimated from those of modern
plants within 10 km of each site. The local isotopic range was set based on these two values, and outliers from the range were
identified as immigrants to the population. The results indicate that a significant proportion of immigrants were included in the
two populations. Both male and female people migrated, and both type 4I and 2C individuals included immigrants.



Figure 1
Geological map (A) and strontium isotope map of modern plants (B) modified from Kusaka et al. (2011). The 10-km ranges of
the Hobi (A-9) and Ikawazu (A-8) shell-mounds are shown.
The ratios of strontium and calcium concentrations are considered indicative of the diet as the ratios decrease according to
trophic levels (Schoeninger, 1979; Sillen and Kavanagh, 1982). This could be caused by the animals’ absorption of strontium
relative to calcium in dietary minerals. This process is called ‘biopurification’ (Elias et al., 1982). The two-resource mixing
model of Sr/Ca and strontium isotope ratios shows a mixing curve depending on the concentration. However, the reciprocal of
the Sr/Ca ratios and isotope ratios shows a linear relationship between the two sources (Bentley, 2006; Kusaka and Shin, 2018).
This relationship might support the interpretation of dietary sources and human migration.
The purpose of this study was to identify immigrants of the skeletal population from the Hobi and Ikawazu shell-mounds
through strontium isotope analysis. We focused on the isotopic difference between single burials, mass burials, and banjo-
shuseki burials. We also evaluated isotopic difference according to tooth ablation types. Our analysis aids the interpretation of
these special burial styles during the Jomon period.
Materials and Methods
The Hobi shell-mound has been excavated over 15 times (Tahara City Board of Education, 2017). In the shell-mound, the
northern part of the site is named the ‘A’ shell-mound, the eastern part the ‘B’ shell-mound, and the western part the ‘C’ shell
mound. The Hobi shell-mound was formed during the last part of the Late Jomon period to the early part of the Yayoi period
based on excavated pottery. A total of 155 human skeletal remains have been excavated. Five mass burials, including a banjo-
shuseki burial, have been found.
The research team investigating the Hobi shell-mound excavated in the area of the B shell-mound during 2010–2015.
The banjo-shuseki burial (Pit burial No. 1) and single burial (Pit burial No. 2) sites were excavated. The details of these
excavations are reported in another paper in the same issue of this journal.
Fifteen samples of tooth enamel, which include second premolar to third molars, and five rib bone samples from the
Hobi banjo-shuseki burial were used for strontium isotope analysis. One tooth enamel and a rib bone sample from a single
burial were also used (Table 1).
Table 1 The results of strontium isotope analysis on human skeletal remains from the Hobi and Ikawazu shell-mounds
Experiment Burial Sample Age at Tooth
No. Site Year No. No. Sex death Burial style Parts type 87Sr/86Sr
IH-1 Hobi 2012 Pit HB-99 Male Middle Single burial Tooth LM1/M2 0.709131
burial adult
No.2
IH-2 Hobi 2012 Pit HB-99 Male Middle Single burial Bone Rib 0.708903
burial adult
No.2
IH-6 Hobi 2012 Pit B685 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Bone — 0.709047
burial shuseki burial
No.1


No.1
No.1
No.1
B126Ba Hobi 2012 Pit B126 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Bone — 0.709329
No.1
IH-15 Hobi 2012 Pit B1038 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth LM3 0.709004
No.1
IH-12 Hobi 2012 Pit B998 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth RM2/M3 0.709476
No.1
IH-17 Hobi 2013 Pit B1339 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth RM1 0.709527
No.1
No.1
No.1
IH-11 Hobi 2012 Pit B908 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth LM3 0.709545
No.1
IH-16 Hobi 2011 Pit B1045 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth RM1/M2 0.709551
No.1
IH-3 Hobi 2012 Pit B202 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth LM1/M2 0.709555
No.1
No.1


B136Ea Hobi 2012 Pit B136 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth LP2 0.709578
No.1
IH-9 Hobi 2012 Pit B1432- Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth LM2/M3 0.709625
burial 2 shuseki burial
No.1
IH-8 Hobi 2012 Pit B818 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth LM1/M2 0.709689
No.1
IH-18 Hobi 2013 Pit B1382 Unknown 3–4 years Banjo- Tooth RM1 0.709690
No.1
IH-4 Hobi 2012 Pit B453 Unknown 3–4 years Banjo- Tooth LM1 0.709724
No.1
B221Ea Hobi 2012 Pit B221 Unknown Unknown Banjo- Tooth LM3 0.709791
No.1
IH-33 Ikawazu 1984 2 Male Middle Single burial Tooth RP2 0.708952
adult
adult
IH-43 Ikawazu 1984 14 Male Middle Single burial Tooth LP2 0.709568
adult
IH-46 Ikawazu 1984 17 Female Middle Single burial Tooth LP2 0.709612
adult
IH-47 Ikawazu 1984 1–1 Male Middle Banjo- Tooth RP2 0.709522
adult shuseki burial
IH-32 Ikawazu 1984 1–2 Male Middle Banjo- Tooth RP2 0.709786
adult shuseki burial
IH-38 Ikawazu 1984 6–8 Female Old adult Mass burial Tooth LP2 0.709366
IH-36 Ikawazu 1984 6–1 Female Middle Mass burial Tooth RP2 0.709432
adult
IH-37 Ikawazu 1984 6–5 Male Middle Mass burial Tooth LP2 0.710354
adult


IH-41 Ikawazu 1984 12–2 Female Middle Double burial Tooth RP2 0.709396
adult
IH-34 Ikawazu 1984 4–1 Female Old adult Double burial Tooth LP2 0.709525
IH-42 Ikawazu 1984 13 Male Middle Fragmentary Tooth LP2 0.710675

adult burial
IH-44 Ikawazu 1984 15–2 Male Middle Mixed burial Tooth RP2 0.711452
adult
IH-39 Ikawazu 1984 9 Male Middle Secondary Tooth LP2 0.708897

adult burial
IH-40 Ikawazu 1984 19 Male Middle Unknown Tooth LP2 0.709063

adult
IH-35 Ikawazu 1984 5–1 Female Middle Unknown Tooth RP2 0.709459
adult
IH-48 Ikawazu 2008 2 Unknown 10–15 Single burial Tooth LP2 0.709476
years
IH-49 Ikawazu 2008 3 Male 15–20 Single burial Tooth LP2 0.709522
years
IH-24 Ikawazu 2010 1 Male about 20 Single burial Tooth RP2 0.708760
years
IH-25 Ikawazu 2010 1 Male about 20 Single burial Bone Rib 0.708902
years
IH-26 Ikawazu 2010 2 Unknown under 2 Single burial Bone Rib 0.708831
years
IH-27 Ikawazu 2010 3 Female Young Single burial Tooth RP2 0.708899
adult
IH-28 Ikawazu 2010 3 Female Young Single burial Bone Rib 0.708870
adult
adult
IH-30 Ikawazu 2010 5 Male Middle Single burial Bone Rib 0.708849
adult
IH-20 Ikawazu 2010 4–1 Unknown 7 years Double burial Tooth LM1 0.708899


IH-21 Ikawazu 2010 4–1 Unknown 7 years Double burial Bone Rib 0.708905
IH-22 Ikawazu 2010 4–2 Female Young Double burial Tooth LM3 0.708967
adult
IH-23 Ikawazu 2010 4–2 Female Young Double burial Bone Rib 0.708865
adult
IH-31 Ikawazu 2013 2 Female about 20 Single burial Bone Rib 0.708915
years
a
Samples of 87Sr/86Sr measured at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature.
The Ikawazu shell-mound has been excavated over 10 times since 1903. The site dates from the late part of the Late Jomon
to the Final Jomon period (Hisanaga, 1972; Kusaka et al., 2015). In total, 191 human skeletal remains have been found. In
1984, 22 burials and 44 individuals were excavated (Ehara et al., 1988). Tooth metric analysis and other archaeological
analyses were conducted on these samples. During the excavation in 2008–2010 and 2013, human skeletal remains of 14
individuals from the last part of the Final Jomon period were identified. The burial postures of these individuals comprised six
flex burials, one sitting burial, two extended burials, and other unknown burials (Tahara City Board of Education, 2015).
Radiocarbon dates of four human skeletal remains from Ikawazu excavated in 1922 were reported as 2440–3070 cal BP
(Kusaka et al., 2011).
In Ikawazu, four tooth enamel samples from single burials, two enamel samples from the banjo-shuseki burial (Nos. 1–1, 1–
2), three enamel samples from the mass burial (Nos. 6–1, 6–5, 6–8), and seven enamel samples of other kinds of burials were
analyzed from the excavation in 1984. Two tooth enamel samples from 2008 and one bone sample from 2013 were also used
for the analysis. Five tooth enamel samples and six bone samples were obtained from the materials excavated in 2010. Most
tooth enamel samples were taken from the second premolars of the Ikawazu specimens.
For strontium isotope analysis, approximately 5 mg of tooth enamel and bone samples were drilled using a dental drill and
tungsten carbide bar. Powdered samples were washed with buffered acetic acid (0.1 mol/L, 30 min). About 2 mg of each
sample was digested with nitric acid (3.5 mol/L) for strontium isotope analysis. Strontium was purified from most of the
samples using a strontium-specific resin (100–200 mesh; Eichrom Technologies Inc.). Multi-collector inductivity-coupled
plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS, Neptune; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.) was performed at the National Museum of
Japanese History. Strontium from three tooth enamel samples of the Hobi banjo-shuseki burial was purified using a cation
exchange resin (DOWEX 50W-X8, 200–400 mesh: Muromachi Chemicals Inc.), and the strontium isotope ratios of three
samples were measured by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS; Triton, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.) at the Research
Institute for Humanity and Nature. Because both systems used NIST SRM-987 strontium solution (87Sr/86Sr = 0.71025; Faure
and Mensing, 2005) to standardize strontium isotope ratios of samples, the measured results are comparable the between two
systems. The standard error of the 87Sr/86Sr ratios was lower than 0.000010 for MC-ICP-MS and 0.000021 for TIMS.
To measure the Ca/Sr ratios, samples (0.5 mg) washed with buffered acetic acid were used. The samples were dissolved in
nitric acid (1 wt%) and diluted approximately 10000 times. The concentrations of calcium and strontium were measured by
inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (iCAP PRO XP; Thermo Fisher Scientific. Inc.) at Tokai University.
Diluted calcium standard solution and multi-element standard solution (XSTC-622, SPEX) were used to estimate the calcium
and strontium concentrations in the samples.

Results
The mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios of tooth enamel from the Hobi samples were 0.709533 ± 0.000202 (N = 16), and those of bone
were 0.709103 ± 0.000142 (N = 6). The mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios of tooth enamel were significantly higher than those of bones
(Wilcoxon test, χ2 = 9.14, P = 0.003).
The mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios of tooth enamel from the Ikawazu samples were 0.709479 ± 0.000632 (N = 23), and those of bone
were 0.708877 ± 0.000031 (N = 7). The mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios of tooth enamel were significantly higher than those of bones
(Wilcoxon test, χ2 = 10.01, P = 0.002).
The Ca/Sr ratios (Ca/Sr × 103) of tooth enamel from the Hobi samples were 0.99 ± 0.24 (N = 14), and those of bone were
0.34 ± 0.03 (N = 5). The Ca/Sr ratios of tooth enamel were significantly higher than those of bones (Wilcoxon test, χ2 =
10.52, P = 0.001), and the variation in the Ca/Sr ratios of tooth enamel was larger than that of bones (Bartlett test, F =
11.72, P < 0.001).
The Ca/Sr ratios and 87Sr/86Sr ratios were compared to interpret dietary resources and migration (Figure 2). Among the Hobi
samples, the Ca/Sr ratios of enamel were not correlated with the 87Sr/86Sr ratios (R2 = 0.081, P = 0.326), but the Ca/Sr ratios of
bone were positively correlated (R2 = 0.884, P = 0.017).
Figure 2

The strontium isotope ratios and Ca/Sr ratios of human skeletal remains from the Hobi and Ikawazu shell-mounds.
The Ca/Sr ratios of tooth enamel from the Ikawazu samples were 1.17 ± 0.39 (N = 21), and those of bone were 0.41 ± 0.10
(N = 7). The Ca/Sr ratios of tooth enamel were significantly higher than those of bones (Wilcoxon test, χ2 = 15.22, P < 0.001),
and the variation in the Ca/Sr ratios of tooth enamel was larger than that of bones (Bartlett test, F = 9.70, P = 0.002).
Among the Ikawazu samples, the Ca/Sr ratios of enamel were negatively correlated with the 87Sr/86Sr ratios (R2 = 0.280, P =
0.014), but the Ca/Sr ratios of bone were not correlated (R2 = 0.388, P = 0.135).
The 87Sr/86Sr ratios were compared between the burial style groups. Statistical comparison was difficult because of the small
sample size: one enamel sample is from a single burial among the Hobi, and two enamel samples were from banjo-
shuseki burials among the Ikawazu. Most of the enamel samples from the Hobi banjo-shuseki burial exhibited higher 87Sr/86Sr
ratios than one enamel sample from a single Hobi burial. Four enamel samples from Ikawazu banjo-shuseki burial, mass burial,
fragmentary burial, and mixed burial tended to show high 87Sr/86Sr ratios (Figure 2). These four individuals were males.
The 87Sr/86Sr ratios were evaluated between the groups of tooth ablation types. Among the Hobi samples, three samples
showed type 2C, and there were no type 4I individuals (Table 1). Among the Ikawazu samples, most of type 2C enamel
samples exhibited higher 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and one enamel type 4I and two enamels of type 4I2C exhibited lower 87Sr/86Sr
ratios (Figure 3). However, most of samples excavated in 1984 showed type 2C. Notably type 2C and type 4I2C enamel
samples excavated in 2010 tended to show similar values. One enamel sample of type 4I with tooth filing showed
moderate 87Sr/86Sr ratios.

Figure 3
The strontium isotope ratios of human skeletal remains from the Ikawazu shell-mound according to types of ritual tooth ablation.
M, F, and UNK indicate male, female, and unknown, respectively.
Discussion
The strontium isotope analysis of human skeletal remains from the Hobi shell-mound exhibited a range of 0.708903–
0.709791, and the mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios of enamel samples were significantly higher than those of the bone samples. The range
of the mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios plus or minus two standard deviations (mean ± 2SD) can be used to establish the biologically
available strontium for the population (Bentley, 2006). The local range based on the bone samples was 0.708819–0.709387.
The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of modern plants have also been used to infer the range of local strontium (Hodell et al., 2004). The
mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios of modern plants around 10 km from the site were calculated from previously reported data (Figure
1; Kusaka et al., 2009, 2011). The 2SD range of modern plants was 0.708721–0.709469, which is slightly larger than that of
bone samples. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of only two tooth enamels were included in the ranges of both bone samples and modern
plants.
The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of tooth enamel and bone samples originate from the dietary resources. The incorporation of marine
resources showed a value of 0.70918 (Faure and Mensing, 2005). In coastal areas, the effects of sea-spray cause significant
changes in terrestrial resources (Whipkey et al., 2000). The dietary sources of the Jomon population are composed of a mix of
terrestrial and marine resources. The mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the bone samples from Hobi were 0.709103. The mean value of
dietary sources for Hobi would be approximately 0.7091–0.7092. Therefore, the tooth enamel of a single burial (Pit burial No.
2, HB-99) and one tooth enamel among the banjo-shuseki burial (Pit burial No. 1, B1038) show the signature of locals who
grew up in the site. Other enamel samples suggest the possibility that they are not of local origin.
The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of tooth enamel in animal remains can be used to establish the locally available strontium (Price et al.,
2002; Bentley et al., 2004). The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of deer enamel samples from Hobi were 0.708318 ± 0.000355 (N = 8), and
those of wild boar enamel samples were 0.708846 ± 0.000467 (N = 7; E. Ishimaru, in preparation). The isotope ratios of the
tooth enamel of animals indicate the geological location of their teeth. The Jomon population incorporates the meat of these
animals. It is unclear whether the value of meat is the same as that of tooth enamel, but these values would be a good reference
for locally available strontium. The mean values of deer and wild boar were lower than those of marine resources. This does
not contradict the biologically available strontium based on human bone and terrestrial plant samples.
The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of human skeletal remains from the Ikawazu shell-mound were in the range of 0.708760–0.711452. The
mean 87Sr/86Sr ratios (±2SD) of the bones exhibited a narrower range of 0.708815–0.708939. The range of modern plants
around Ikawazu was 0.708615–0.709647. The mean value of the modern plants was 0.709131, and the values of dietary
resources for Ikawazu were estimated to be approximately 0.7091–0.7092. Two enamel samples from deer had a mean value of
0.709598. This value suggests the possibility that these deer were hunted in a distant place and imported to the site, or that
plants with these values were available around nearby sites. Although most of the modern plants on the Atsumi peninsula
exhibit lower values than seawater, the highest value was 0.7096 in the southern coastal area (Figure 1). Based on the ±2SD
range of modern plants, the four enamel samples were not in local ranges. A higher value can be observed in four male enamel
samples excavated in 1984: one sample among the banjo-shuseki burial (No. 1–2; 0.709786), one sample among the mass
burial (No. 6–5; 0.710354), one sample from a fragmentary burial (No. 13; 0.710675), and one sample from a mixed burial
(No. 15–2; 0.711452). These samples suggest that they might have originated from the outer place of the site or human
skeletons were conveyed to the site in the case of secondary burials.

The Ca/Sr ratios of tooth enamel samples were higher than those of bone samples in both the Hobi and Ikawazu shell-
mounds. This indicates that the strontium concentration was high in the bone samples. The variation in Ca/Sr ratios was smaller
in bone samples than in tooth enamel samples. Bones generally have a porous structure, and diagenetic strontium from
sediments and groundwater tends to be adsorbed (Price, 1989). This could be a cause of the difference in the strontium
concentration between the tooth enamel and bones. This tendency also explains the narrower range of 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the
bone samples.
The Ca/Sr ratios of body tissues are affected by those of dietary resources, resulting in a possible relationship between the
Ca/Sr ratios, 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and dietary resources. Among the Hobi enamel samples, the Ca/Sr ratios varied without a
connection with the 87Sr/86Sr ratios (Figure 2). This indicates that the Hobi population would have incorporated several
resources with variable strontium concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. The positive correlation in the Hobi bone samples
indicates the two sources of strontium: one is seawater with a low concentration of strontium and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70918,
and the other is diagenetic strontium in soil and underground water with a high concentration of strontium and low 87Sr/86Sr
ratios.
Meanwhile, the Ca/Sr ratios were negatively correlated with the 87Sr/86Sr ratios among the Ikawazu specimens. The high
Ca/Sr ratios with low 87Sr/86Sr ratios suggest the incorporation of terrestrial meat with low strontium concentrations and high
trophic level fish. Individuals who showed 0.7093–0.7098 tended to have lower Ca/Sr ratios. They might have incorporated
terrestrial plants with high strontium concentrations. If they incorporated marine resources, they would have digested terrestrial
plants and meat that were higher than the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7098. These two end-members would have caused the negative
correlation between the Ca/Sr and the 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the enamel of Ikawazu specimens. The three individuals with values
higher than 0.7103 exhibited lower Ca/Sr ratios. The very high 87Sr/86Sr ratios indicate that they are not of local origin.
The banjo-shuseki burials of Hobi and Ikawazu included samples that show higher 87Sr/86Sr ratios than those of single
burials. This finding means that the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of food obtained during childhood of individuals in the banjo-
shuseki burials were different from those of individuals in single burials. The difference in the 87Sr/86Sr ratios indicates the
possibility that the places of resource procurement were different between them, even when living in the same local place.
Another possibility is that the individuals in the banjo-shuseki burials lived in another location during childhood and
immigrated into the settlement during adulthood. If they had died in another place, skeletonized remains could have been be
transported to the cemetery when the banjo-shuseki burials were created. The coastal area of the west Mikawa area, which is
located north of Mikawa Bay, had the custom of banjo-shuseki burials. Since the 87Sr/86Sr ratios in that area are high, west
Mikawa is one of the candidates for the origin of individuals with high 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Secondary burials with multiple
individuals might be the result of a mortuary practice of grouping several small populations (Yamada, 1995). The pilasteric
femur from the banjo-shuseki burials in Hobi suggests some differences in activity roles or genealogical relationships
(Mizushima et al., 2004). The high 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the banjo-shuseki burials also indicate some peculiar characteristics in
Jomon society.
The difference in the 87Sr/86Sr ratios between the types of tooth ablation is a difficult question based on the results of this
study. The individual in a single burial in Hobi (Pit burial No. 2, HB-99) has type 2C, and this individual shows a value likely
to be local. The two type 2C samples from the banjo-shuseki burial (Pit burial No. 1, B221, B136) present high values, similar
to those of immigrants. These results suggest that type 2C individuals in Hobi include both locals and immigrants. Most of the
individuals in the 1984 excavation at Ikawazu exhibit type 2C tooth ablation (Figure 3). Exceptionally, the type 4I individual
with tooth filing (No. 19) gives a value of 0.709063, which indicates a local individual. Both type 4I2C individuals (Nos. 3 and
4-2) and type 2C individuals (Nos. 1 and 5) from the 2010 excavation exhibit values in the local ranges. These results do not
indicate any difference in origin between the type 2C and 4I groups in Hobi and Ikawazu.

Acknowledgments
The authors thank Mr. Tadayuki Masuyama of Tahara City Board of Education, and Ms. Haruka Yamaguchi and Professor
Minoru Yoneda of The University of Tokyo for their assistance with this study. This study was funded as collaborative research
by the National Museum of Japanese History and the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature. The research was funded by
the JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI Grant Numbers 18H03593 and 20H01371).

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Strontium Isotope Analysis On Human Skeletal Remains From The Hobi and Ikawazu Shell-Mounds in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

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Strontium Isotope Analysis On Human Skeletal Remains From The Hobi and Ikawazu Shell-Mounds in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

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9/13/23, 8:44 PM Strontium isotope analysis on human skeletal remains from the Hobi and Ikawazu shell-mounds in Aichi

s in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 1/14

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 2/14

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 3/14

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 4/14

Materials and Methods

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 5/14

Experiment Burial Sample Age at Tooth

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 6/14

Experiment Burial Sample Age at Tooth

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 7/14

Experiment Burial Sample Age at Tooth

IH-42 Ikawazu 1984 13 Male Middle Fragmentary Tooth LP2 0.710675

IH-39 Ikawazu 1984 9 Male Middle Secondary Tooth LP2 0.708897

IH-40 Ikawazu 1984 19 Male Middle Unknown Tooth LP2 0.709063

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 8/14

Experiment Burial Sample Age at Tooth

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 9/14

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 10/14

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 11/14

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 12/14

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 13/14

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/130/1/130_2202191/_html/-char/en#:~:text=The 87Sr%2F86Sr,is not remodeled during adulthood. 14/14

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