Strontium isotope analysis has emerged as a powerful tool to trace human and animal mobility and geographic origins in archaeology. This study focuses on applying this method to non-human remains from sites in the Mesa Verde region, Southwest US. The central research question is: How did ancient communities in the Mesa Verde region adapt their resource acquisition strategies to environmental and social pressures during the period of AD 750 to 1280?

Recent research has primarily examined domesticated turkeys, revealing how maize-fed turkey management coincided with significant environmental and social changes between AD 750 and 1280. Building on these findings, this project extends to deer and rabbit remains, providing new insights into human-animal interactions and resource acquisition strategies during this period of transformation.

To this end, samples of rabbit and deer bones were selected from four archaeological sites and different periods covering the AD 750 – 1280 time span. The bone samples are carefully cleaned, treated to remove any contamination, and dissolved. The strontium is then extracted and the resulting solutions are analyzed on a Nu Plasma II multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. The isotopic composition of strontium measured for the samples is then compared with strontium isotope data available for the region to determine the provenance of the animals.

The expected results are that deer and rabbit remains will demonstrate a mix of local and non-local origins, reflecting strategic food acquisition to changing environmental and social conditions.