Pastoralist Mobility in Bronze Age Landscapes of Northern Kazakhstan:87Sr/86Sr and δ18O Analyses of Human Dentition from Bestamak and Lisakovsk

A new study reveals that pastoralist mobility in northern Kazakhstan decreased significantly from the Middle to Late Bronze Age, challenging assumptions about widespread movement during this period. Using strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic analyses of human tooth enamel from cemeteries at Bestamak (Middle Bronze Age) and Lisakovsk (Late Bronze Age), researchers found that while small-scale mobility persisted, the range of movement narrowed over time. This suggests a shift in resource and landscape use, potentially linked to broader societal changes in the steppe region.

Ventresca Miller, A. R., Winter-Schuh, C., Usmanova, E. R., Logvin, A., Shevnina, I., & Makarewicz, C. A. (2017). Pastoralist Mobility in Bronze Age Landscapes of Northern Kazakhstan:⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ¹⁸O Analyses of Human Dentition from Bestamak and Lisakovsk. Environmental Archaeology, 23(4), 352–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/14614103.2017.1390031