Modelling a scale-based strontium isotope baseline for Hungary

Strontium isotope analysis has recently proven to be a useful tool to elucidate population movements and subsistence strategies in ecological and archaeological sciences. The interpretation depends on the size, type, availability, and preservation of the sample and the reliability of the produced strontium isotope baseline. However, collecting quantitatively and qualitatively suitable baseline samples is considered a challenging task in archaeological research. To meet these challenges, we introduce an innovative analytical technique, which enables the analysis of small sample sizes from heterogeneous site distribution and environmental settings. This article integrates multivariate environmental modelling and bioarchaeological data of 49 sites to establish the first scale-based differentiation between site-specific and micro-regional strontium isotope baselines with various sample sizes in Hungary. In future mobility studies, this approach will allow distinguishing human and faunal movement ranges on different geographical scales.