New Perspectives on Migration into the Tlajinga District of Teotihuacan: A Dual-Isotope Approach

A new dual-isotope analysis of human remains from the Tlajinga district in Teotihuacan reveals that nearly half (45%) of its population were migrants, significantly higher than previous estimates. This study, combining strontium and oxygen isotope data from three apartment compounds, suggests migration was most pronounced during the early centuries of occupation but remained consistent throughout the site's history. A notable finding indicates that residents of Tlajinga 33 consumed foods with elevated strontium ratios, likely due to the use of imported lime in food processing, a factor that could influence future isotope-based studies at Teotihuacan.

Buckley, G. M., Storey, R., Longstaffe, F. J., Carballo, D. M., Hirth, K. G., & Renson, V. (2021). New Perspectives on Migration into the Tlajinga District of Teotihuacan: A Dual-Isotope Approach. Latin American Antiquity, 32(3), 536–556. https://doi.org/10.1017/laq.2021.20