Geological and archaeological implications of strontium isotope analysis of exposed bedrock in the Chicxulub crater basin, northwestern Yucatan, Mexico

The surface geology of the site of the Chicxulub impact crater in northwestern Yucatan, Mexico, has not been studied extensively since the discovery of the crater almost two decades ago. Strontium isotope ([sup.87]Sr/[sup.86]Sr) measurements in carbonate rock outcrops reveal near-uniform strontium signatures of 0.70905 inside the ring of cenotes (water-filled sinkholes), which represents the rim of the crater basin. Measured strontium isotope ratios were used to infer rock ages, employing the marine Sr isotope curve. We estimate the age of the exposed limestone within the Chicxulub crater basin to be late Miocene to early Pliocene, representing the age of the youngest sediment fill. Discovery of a large terrain of near-uniform strontium isotope ratios in northwestern Yucatan offers new geoarchaeological opportunities to track ancient Maya migration and determine sources of manufactured goods. Our results have implications for applying the Sr isotope method to Maya archaeological sites, such as Mayapan, the last Maya capital, and Chichen Itza.