Locals or Migrants? Isotope Analysis of Late Bronze – Pre-Roman Iron Age Human Cremations in Ėgliškiai Population

Archaeological data from the Bronze Age and Pre-Roman Iron Age reveal significant cultural changes in the East Baltic Region, often linked to influences from other parts of Europe. Whether immigration played a major role in these transformations, remains under debate. This paper presents the first strontium isotope measurements (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) from 25 human samples (cremations) recovered at the Ėgliškiai barrow cemetery in western Lithuania. The site belongs to the Western Baltic Barrow culture and dates to the Late Bronze – Pre-Roman Iron Age (circa 800–50 BC). Artefacts typology and distribution at Ėgliškiai cemetery differ from other barrow sites in the East Baltic Region, suggesting long distance trade or at least some of the buried individuals being of non-local origin. The aim of this research is to determine whether individuals buried in mounds represent the local population or migrants, using bioarchaeological evidence. To establish an environmental baseline, we created a strontium isoscape based on 51 modern plant samples collected at 17 sites within a 25km radius around Ėgliškiai. This approach enables not only the assessment of the locality of individuals, but also it brings new insights into the landscape use and possible settlement patterns of the Western Baltic Barrow culture. Strontium isotope ratios (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) and concentrations ([Sr]) from cremated individuals show variations between barrow mounds, indicating differences in landscape use between the Late Bronze Age and Pre-Roman Iron Age groups at Ėgliškiai.