Spatial variations in biosphere 87Sr/86Sr in Britain

trontium isotopes are a powerful tool for investigat-ing the geographical origins of people and animals but assignment of provenance requires reference maps and databases. This paper presents a map of strontium isotope variations across Britain for use in archae-ological and other studies, and is produced by direct meas-urement of strontium isotope compositions of biosphere components, predominantly plants. The map characterizes the biosphere signature of specific lithologies: a technique that is applicable worldwide. Marine-derived strontium, from both rainwater and coastal sea-splash and spray, is an important contribution to the British biosphere, particularly on the western seaboard, which is subject to high rainfall and prevailing westerly winds. Supplementary material: Methods, full data table, and full-size version of Figure 1b are available a