Doctoral Dissertation Research: An Isotopic Investigation of Mobility, Exchange, and Tomb Membership in Bronze Age Arabia

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This project investigates changes in human migration patterns with the development of interregional exchange networks in the United Arab Emirates throughout the Bronze Age (ca. 3100-1200 BC). Stable strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope values extracted from human tooth enamel will be utilized in reconstructing the childhood geographic residence of individuals in order to identify non-local adults interred in tombs across the Oman Peninsula. This study tests the hypothesis that the burial of foreigners within local tombs was a common practice by the Early Bronze Age but declined rapidly in the Middle Bronze Age after the fall of the Indus Valley civilization, with which this region was interconnected. This research challenges the long-standing assumption that these monumental tombs acted as powerful symbols tying local populations to the land where their ancestors were buried; the presence of non-locals in these tombs may point to a more flexible and complex funerary ideology than previously speculated. This project will contribute significantly to our knowledge of the influence of trade on mobility and migration patterns in ancient Arabia and seeks to address broader issues by challenging the theoretical assumptions behind these relationships. Through analyses of isotopic signatures from skeletal remains, evidence of the exchange of people has the potential to give insight into the political economy and idealogical aspects of life in this region and facilitate a comparison between the archaeological record and direct biogeochemical evidence as to the true nature of foreign relations and subordination during this time. This project impacts a female graduate student's training and generates opportunities for success, as well as contributing to the education and training of undergraduates in methodology related to stable isotope analysis. The project provides interdisciplinary collaboration with Emirati scholars. Public outreach is also a key aspect of this project and underrepresented groups will be able to attend the Girls Explore Archaeology! Program, which introduces middle school-aged girls to the science behind archaeology.