This thesis deals with a medieval material from Rounala in Karesuando parish, Norrbotten county, Lapland. The aim is to reconstruct the diet and mobility patterns. It is through carbon, nitrogen and sulphur stable isotopes and radiocarbon that both pastoralist traits and whether which part Christianity played in the burial traditions of these human remains is being studied. Another aim is to discuss the repatriation issue as these remains are subjected to. The results mainly show that all individuals had a mixed diet and no pastoral way of living has been established. Furthermore, individual 3 is suffering from pathological changes. With radiocarbon dates ranging from 1300 to 1720 AD, two groups can be distinguished as to whom had been buried before and after the construction of the church. And repatriation is being discussed as an issue to who have ownership over ancient remains.

Sulphur stable isotope ratios are useful tracers in geological and environmental studies. They can for example be used to trace the origin of atmospheric sulphate aerosols, because anthropogenic sulphate and natural sulphate have distinguishable δ34S-values (δ34S value of approximately +0 to +8 ‰ for anthropogenic and approximately +12 to +19 ‰ for natural). This is useful for climate modelling research, due to the net cooling effect of aerosol sulphate. In the present study a Nu Plasma II (Nu Instruments) multi collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) method for measuring stable sulphur isotope ratios in low sulphur content samples, such as sulphate aerosols, was developed. The method was then applied to a sulphate aerosol sample collected in the Maldives.Most of the measurements were performed at high resolution, due to the interferences on 33S. Heated spray chamber coupled to a desolvating membrane, Aridus II (Cetac), increased the sensitivity and reduced interferences notably compared to wet plasma mode. Aridus II gave more stable measurements than DSN-100 (Nu Instruments). Determinations of δ34S for IAEA S1, S3, and S4 were accurate and the determined δ34S-value of the CIT #39 seawater standard (21.05 ± 0.36 ‰, 2SD, n=42) was comparable with published data. In general, Si internal standardization correction increased precision ~2.5 times compared to non-corrected values. The δ34S-value for the sulphate aerosol sample was determined to 3.82 ±0.41 ‰ (2SD, n=40). Repeatability of ~62 nmol introduced sulphur (2 μg/mL) was generally 0.15 ‰ (2SD, n=5) for the SW and 0.19 ‰ (2SD, n=5) for the sulphate aerosol sample. Comparable results for the SW (20.61±0.09 ‰, 2SD, n=4) and sulphate aersosol sample (3.77 ± 0.08 ‰, 2SD, n=8) were obtained with the method applied to Neptune Plus (Thermo Fischer Scientific) MC-ICP-MS in a different laboratory. The determined aerosol sulphate δ34S-value indicated that the sampled sulphate aerosol originated from anthropogenic sources.

Isotope analyses on human and faunal skeletal remains from different Swedish Neolithic archaeological contexts are here applied as a means to reconstruct dietary strategies and mobility patterns. The chronological emphasis is on the Middle Neolithic period, and radiocarbon dating constitutes another central focus. The results reveal a food cultural diversity throughout the period in question, where dietary differences in part correspond to, but also transcend, the traditionally defined archaeological cultures in the Swedish Early to Middle Neolithic. Further, these differences, and the apparent continued utilisation of marine resources in several regions and cultural contexts, can only in part be explained by chronology or availability of resources depending on geographic location. Thus, the sometimes suggested sharp economic shift towards an agricultural way of life at the onset of the Neolithic is refuted. Taking the potential of isotope analyses a step further, aspects of Neolithic social relations and identities are discussed, partly from a food cultural perspective embarking from the obtained results. Relations between people and places, as well as to the past, are discussed. The apparent tenacity in the dietary strategies observed is understood in terms of their rootedness in the practices and social memory of the Neolithic societies in question. Food cultural practices are further argued to have given rise to different notions of identity, some of which can be related to the different archaeological cultures, although these cultures are not to be perceived as bounded entities or the sole basis of self-conceptualisation. Some of these identities have been focused around the dietary strategies of everyday life, whereas others emanate from practices, e.g. of ritualised character, whose dietary importance has been more marginal. Isotope analyses, when combined with other archaeological indices, have the potential to elucidate both these food cultural aspects. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 4: Submitted. Paper 5: In press. Paper 6: Accepted.