Residential history of the Neolithic individual from Tomb A at Fontaine-le-Puits (Savoie, France): a multi-isotope study (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O and δ13C)

Abstract This paper examines the residential history of a Neolithic individual through strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotopic analysis. Buried in Tomb A at Fontaine-le-Puits (Savoie, France), this individual dates to the transition between the Middle and Late Neolithic periods. The individual was afforded an atypical funerary ritual within the local context, characterized by the use of an individual grave and the deposition of numerous objects, many of which were of distant origin, including prestige goods. These observations raise questions about the origin and life history of this particularly valued individual, who represents a singularity in the current state of knowledge about local Neolithic occupations. To investigate this individual’s mobility, we established a local isotopic reference framework using two types of reference sample. Since no fauna was found at the site, we included fauna from a nearby, partially contemporary archaeological site and supplemented it with current local fauna. The remains of this individual - a partially preserved adult - allowed us to sample three specific periods of life. We analysed two dental fragments and one bone fragment: enamel from a lower first molar (representing 6 months to 1,5 years), enamel from a second lower molar (representing 4 to 8 years), and a bone fragment (representing the last years of life). The isotopic analysis reveals no values indicative of an environment distinct from the one in which the remains were discovered. This suggests that the individual likely spent both the early and final years of life in an environment similar to that where he/she was buried.