Many sites are situated in their present location because of an environmental reason. Either to exploit a natural resource; whether it is a forest for lumber, water for disposal of waste, energy or transport. Elevated land is useful for defence, mineral deposits are essential for mining  or quarrying.

What are the types of environmental Data we can collect and provide evidence for Historical archaeologists?

"to wit any evidence consists of any material entity that carries traces of past human behaviour" (Schiffer. 1996)

What are the types of questions we can answer from this data?

1. Attitudes towards environment
2. Diet
3. Status/ethnicity
4. Cultural adaptations to the local environment
5. modification of  the environment
6. Settlement patterns
7. Disease/Health
8. Pollutants from industry
9. How colonial food path ways changed or persisted and why?
10. Human responses to new environments

Lead isotopes?

The CSIRO division of Exploration and geochemistry in the 80's and 90's developed a process of determining lead levels from pollution, mines and other sources in built up areas. Analyses have been conducted on dust in roofs, soil and human biological samples such as hair, teeth and blood. It is possible that Archaeologists could utilise this type of analysis to answer questions about health, pollution and dispersal of pollution from industrial landscapes. The samples could be collected form animal bones, human remains as well as soil depositional layers.

Refer to the Isotopes in Health web page for more information