Tracing the Source of the Elephant And Hippopotamus Ivory from ...

compare, the more unique the regional isotopic fingerprints will be, and sophisticated
statistical analyses may also be performed to better interpret the data (as in, for example,
Koch et al. 1995). Lead and neodymium isotopes are furthermore widely available in the
geological literature, perhaps more so than strontium isotopes. Lead isotopes have been
successfully utilized in archaeological research application (Aufderheide et al. 1981,
1988; Molleson et al. 1986; Gale 1989; Reedy and Reedy 1991; Carlson 1996). To my
knowledge neodymium isotopes have not been exploited yet for archaeological purposes.
Naturally a larger sample size is required, and the most practical solution would
be to establish a database so that any isotopic research on ivory, or even any research
utilizing strontium isotopes, could be compared quickly and efficiently. The problem, as
usual, is time and money, as TIMS would be essential for adequate precision. Also, a
database of a single material type is unnecessarily restrictive, as eventually all categories
of exchange items should be incorporated to give a broader picture of Late Bronze Age
trade. Certainly, the contribution to archaeological research in general of studying trade
patterns and exchange mechanisms (“the trade perspective” as I call it) is that it offers the
“wide” perspective in giving larger scales of analysis, just as “settlement” or “landscape”
archaeology opened up the focus from site analysis to regional analysis. As was
demonstrated here, the trade perspective is capable of encompassing large geographical
areas and recognizing lateral social relationships, expressed via international relations for
the ruling elite. If culture is to be regarded as unbounded and population-based, a move
must be made to larger scales of analysis.
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