Decoding the dead: new combined application of strontium and lead isotope analysis to Romano-British cremations from Colchester (UK)

Abstract

This paper presents an innovative application of two distinct isotope systems to paired otic capsule and outer petrous bone samples from cremated remains. This dual analysis approach, applied to 22 human cremation burials from Roman Colchester (UK), demonstrates evidence for origins outside Britain for several individuals, shedding fresh light on an emerging capital city within a new province of the Roman Empire. Results have implications for understanding the population dynamics of large Roman provincial urban centres following the conquest period in the north-western provinces, when cremation is the dominant burial practice. The method also allows a detailed reconstruction of individual mobility at different ages within an individual's life.