Abstract

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to obtain stable oxygen isotope data from the dental tissues of 12 individuals once interred at Fidler Mounds (EaLf-3), a cemetery mound site located in south-central Manitoba, 19 kilometers north of Winnipeg. Fidler Mounds was originally constructed c.1800BP and was utilized as a burial ground by precontact peoples in Manitoba for approximately 1000 years thereafter. The use of SIMS allowed the researcher to obtain several in situ _18O values from each individual's intact cementum, dentin and enamel. These values show that mobility patterns during Manitoba's middle and late Woodland period were extremely complex and varied. Additionally, intra-tissue _18O variability recorded through SIMS analysis indicates that traditional mass spectrometry may not be appropriate for assessing migration patterns within highly mobile populations.