Applications of Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) in Environmental Archaeology

The field of environmental archaeology has been significantly transformed by the advent of compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA), which has provided new insights into how climatic and environmental changes have influenced human and hominin adaptations over time. Current research in this area seeks to address questions about the interactions between past human populations and their environments, focusing on how these interactions have shaped behavioral, morphological, and technological developments. Recent studies utilizing CSIA for isotopes such as δ2H, δ13C, and δ15N have highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among archaeologists, climate scientists, ecologists, geologists, palaeoanthropologists, and palaeobiologists. These studies have demonstrated the potential of CSIA to explore human-environment interactions through various lenses, including plant ecology, water availability, fire history, dietary patterns, and population dynamics. Despite these advances, there remains a need for further research to fully understand the complex relationships between humans and their environments, particularly in terms of long-term impacts and evolutionary pressures.

This research topic aims to explore the applications of CSIA in environmental archaeology, with a focus on understanding the palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental influences on human biological and cultural change. The main objectives include investigating dietary adaptations, fire history and use, population dynamics, and microevolutionary changes associated with ecological variability. By examining these aspects, the research seeks to uncover the long-term impacts of human activity on the environment and the evolutionary pressures exerted on coexisting biological communities. This will involve testing hypotheses related to the role of environmental factors in shaping human evolution and adaptation.

To gather further insights in the application of CSIA in environmental archaeology, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Utilization of biomarkers such as plant-waxes, bacterial or archaeal lipids, sterols, and stanols in archaeological research.
- Stable isotope analysis in the context of climate or environmental studies.
- High-resolution temporal and spatial insights into palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental influences.
- Studies focusing on archaeological sites and broader regional contexts, including lake or marine cores.
- Examination of human impacts on environments through land-use modifications.
- Exploration of evolutionary pressures on biological communities due to human activity.
- Research spanning from the Pliocene through to the Holocene across global contexts.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Compound Specific Isotope Analysis, CSIA, Biomarkers, Stable Isotope Analysis

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.