Ref ID:	34327
Ref Type:	Journal Article
Authors:	Simpson, I. A. Bol, R. Bull, I. D. Evershed, R. P. Petzke, K. -J. Dockrill, S. J.
Title:	Interpreting early land management through compound specific stable isotope analyses of archaeological soils
Date:	1999
Source:	Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
Abstract:	Compound specific stable isotope analyses of managed soils using isotope ratio mass spectrometry have been undertaken as a means of determining early land use practices. d 15N amino acid signals demonstrate differences between manured grassland, unmanured grassland and continuous cereal cultivation under long-term experimental land use control conditions, with d 15N in hydrophobic amino acids providing the most distinctive signals. Analysis of early modern/medieval and of Bronze age anthropogenic soils from Orkney demonstrates that such signals are retained in archaeological contexts. d 13C analyses of n- alkanoic acid components of the fossil, Bronze Age, anthropogenic soils suggest a major terrestrial input to these soils, with uniform composition of formation materials. Surficial soils demonstrate the assimilation of isotopically lighter carbon, providing a means of assessing the mobility of the n- alkanoic acids within soils and sediments.
Date Created:	8/10/2001
Volume:	13
Number:	13
Page Start:	1315
Page End:	1319