Following Ancient Herds: How Isotopes Reveal Seasonal Animal Movement

How do archaeologists track animals that moved across the landscape more than 1,000 years ago?

At the Letaba archaeological site in Kruger, researchers are using isotope analysis to study the layers of dentin in animal teeth. Oxygen, strontium, and carbon can preserve clues about the environments and water sources an animal encountered throughout its life.
These clues may reveal whether buffalo, zebra, giraffe, and other animals moved seasonally between different habitats—and whether ancient communities followed the herds, waited for them to return, or settled near reliable river corridors.

The landscape of Kruger has changed dramatically over time. By studying animal remains, archaeologists can begin to reconstruct those forgotten cycles of movement, hunting, settlement, and survival.
The past may be buried, but it still leaves a trail.
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