The application of strontium and oxygen isotope analysis to study land use and mobility patterns during the earlier Neolithic in England and Wales

The nature of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Britain has often been debated. This thesis represents the first application of strontium and oxygen isotope analysis to study land use and mobility during this period (c. 4000-3500 BC). Results of analysis of populations from a sample of long cairns and a causewayed enclosure complex are described and interpreted in relation to current archaeological evidence for the period. Limitations to the application of oxygen isotope analysis as a direct proxy for landscape use are identified. The potential of strontium isotope analysis to study the period is demonstrated and prospects for future development and application of this method are discussed.