Proxy Evidence: Epistemological Considerations for Isotope Analysis in Bioarchaeology and Zooarchaeology

Isotopic analysis of human and animal remains has become an important method in both bioarchaeology and zooarchaeology, driven by the ongoing development of new and improved methods. This review examines the intersection between isotopic methods and the turn to social and posthumanist theoretical frameworks, drawing on a range of contemporary social theories. There are promising points of engagement between these theoretical approaches and isotopic methods and data in bioarchaeology and zooarchaeology, which emerge from their ability to address questions about food, health, mobility, seasonality, reproduction, identity, gender, labor, politics, etc. To take full advantage of the possibilities offered by new theoretical directions, isotope archaeology should engage more explicitly with isotopic data's status as proxy evidence for the lives of humans and animals in the past. Pursuing epistemic iteration, rather than epistemic security, can help address ongoing issues in the development of methods and in the interpretation of isotopic data.