Strontium isotope analysis, which compares the strontium signature of an individual’s tooth enamel (formed during childhood) with the strontium signatures of different geographic regions, can in principle identify where a person grew up.

The application of this method to the Anzick child’s remains contributes to understanding the mobility of the individuals associated with the burial, though the interpretation of isotopic signatures from a site with complex geological context requires careful analysis.

What It Means That This Was a Child

The fact that the Anzick burial was the burial of a very young child — not an adult, not an elder, not a proven hunter — is something that deserves sustained reflection rather than mere acknowledgment.

The burial of children, in any culture and at any time in history, is among the most emotionally charged of human experiences.