Best practices for selecting samples, analyzing data, and publishing results in isotope archaeology

Isotopic analysis has become one of the most popular arenas of archaeological science, in part due to its versatility to uncover intriguing insights from a range of organic and inorganic archaeological materials. However, alongside an increase in popularity, the field has seen the rise of dissemination of publications that do not pass quality control, do not apply robust interpretative frameworks, or do not report data in ways that would make them amenable to critical evaluation or inclusion in large meta-analyses. This paper represents an effort to clarify some of the most pressing weaknesses and misconceptions in ‘traditional’ applications of isotopic techniques in archaeology: measurement of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope values of organic and inorganic materials (bulk bone collagen, bulk tooth dentine, seeds; bulk and incremental tooth enamel, molluscan shells), and strontium isotope ratio analysis of tooth enamel and cremated bone. The discussion centers on three key aspects of research: