Although not DNA related, another scientific discovery may soon be an additional tool that could determine migration patterns of specific families. Researchers at Bradford University in Britain have found that during childhood when the enamel of our teeth is forming, the enamel absorbs metals. Teeth retain these metal markers as we age. The metal originally comes from the soil, is absorbed by plants, and is deposited in the enamel and bones of young people. Every locale seems to have its own metallic signature. By analyzing the teeth of a 5,000-year-old family, the researchers identified where the mother grew up and where she had lived when each of her three children were young. In the future, researchers hope to use research method at ancient cemeteries to identify migration patterns in early Britain.

Simon Denison, “A Travelogue in the Teeth,” Research & News, Discovering Archaeology (July/August 1999), 14.