Mobility patterns, dietary shifts and chronology: strontium and radiocarbon insights from calcined bones at Ursel-Rozestraat (prov. of East-Flanders, Belgium)

The site of Ursel Rozestraat, located in the municipality of
Ursel to the north-west of Ghent, was discovered using aerial
photography in 1986 (Bourgeois et al. 1989). Use of the site
appears to have spanned from the Neolithic to the Roman
period (Bourgeois et al. 1989). Cremation burials span from
the late Iron Age and Roman period and provide an opportunity
to examine societal changes diachronically across these
transitional periods.
Strontium isotope analysis was undertaken on the majority
of burials excavated at the site to understand the mobility,
food sourcing, and potentially diet of these individuals. To
strengthen the chronology of Ursel Rozestraat, additional radiocarbon
dates on calcined bones from the cremation deposits
were also undertaken.