The last but not least sampling campaign of the CRIME project (a collaboration of AMGC researchers with the University of Ljubljana, and the Jožef Stefan Institute) was completed in August 2023. The CRIME project focuses on the research of prehistoric funeral rituals and their changes in Slovenia. A large part of the project is the preparation of a map of biologically available strontium for Slovenia.

A seven-member team comprised of Matija Črešnar, Tamara Leskovar, Luka Gruškovnjak, Christophe Snoeck, Carina Gerritzen, Tom Boonants and Marta Hlad sampled grass, shrubs, trees, soils, and where possible also water.  Over the course of five days, a total of 1150 km was covered across this beautiful country.

The campaign was a great success, with 83 new locations being sampled, amounting to a total of 190 sampled locations since the first expedition in September 2021. Recovered material will be pre-treated and analysed at AMGC’s in-house clean lab. Results of isotopic analyses will benefit upcoming studies on mobility, diet and cultural history within Slovenia - the historical crossing point of many civilizations - and the surrounding areas.

It was a great opportunity to strengthen the bonds between the two research teams in Brussels and Ljubljana and a big step towards finalizing a map of bioavailable Strontium for Slovenia.