Bone diagenesis at the micro-scale: Bone alteration patterns during multiple burial phases at Al Khiday (Khartoum, Sudan) between the Early Holocene and the II century AD

Sasso, Gregorio Dal; Maritan, Lara; Usai, Donatella; Angelini, Ivana; Artioli, Gilberto

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.06.034

Cited by 61 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is reasonable to start with the assumption that after burial the inorganic fraction of bone undergoes changes over time. That can come about through elements in solution or suspension entering openings in dense cortical bone, such as osteon lacunae [44]; tunnels produced by fungi, bacteria, and plant roots [44][45][46][47][48][49][50]; and cracks as small as microscopic fissures [46,51,52]. It can also occur through recrystallization, ion substitution, ion diffusion, or adsorption in the inorganic fraction of the bone [18,49,53].…”

Section: Biogenic and Diagenetic Signalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping diagenesis in archaeological human bones

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We describe a procedure for ascertaining the extent of diagenesis in archaeological human skeletons through the distribution of Sr, Ba, Cu, Pb, Fe, and Mn in cross-sections of femoral cortical bone. Element mapping is performed through Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Absolute calibrations of element concentrations were obtained using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) on adjacent dissolved bulk bone samples. By comparing a modern individual to five medieval to early modern Danish skeletons, we demonstrate the degree to which concentrations of trace elements are attributable to diagenesis. Invasion from the exterior bone surface into a degraded part of the outer cortical bone is the most frequently occurring diagenetic change. In the archaeological skeletons investigated, diagenetic modification is restricted to, at most, the outer ca. 0.5 mm of bone. In one femur, Haversian channels were filled with diagenetic material, which appears to have entered the bone through a network of cavities largely made up by Haversian and Volkmann's canals.

show abstract

Section: Biogenic and Diagenetic Signalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping diagenesis in archaeological human bones

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Micro-CT has been proposed as a minimally destructive way to investigate taphonomically significant changes to bone (Dal Sasso et al 2014). It has been shown to be a useful tool for identifying bone bio-erosion, wherein eroded areas have a lower relative density than unaffected bone (Booth et al 2016).…”

Section: Diagenesis and Bmdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogenetic changes to bone microstructure in an archaeologically derived sample of human ribs

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is considerable variation in the gross morphology and tissue properties among the bones of human infants, children, adolescents, and adults. Using 18 known‐age individuals (nfemale = 8, nmale = 9, nunknown = 1; birth to 21 years old), from a well‐documented cemetery collection, Spitalfields Christ Church, London, UK, this study explores growth‐related changes in cortical and trabecular bone microstructure. Micro‐CT scans of mid‐shaft middle thoracic ribs are used for quantitative analysis. Results are then compared to previously quantified conventional histomorphometry of the same sample. Total area (Tt.Ar), cortical area (Ct.Ar), cortical thickness (Ct.Th), and the major (Maj.Dm) and minor (Min.Dm) diameters of the rib demonstrate positive correlations with age. Pore density (Po.Dn) increases, but age‐related changes to cortical porosity (Ct.Po) appear to be non‐linear. Trabecular thickness (Tb.th) and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) increase with age, whereas trabecular bone pattern factor (Tb.Pf), structural model index (SMI), and connectivity density (Conn.D) decrease with age. Sex‐based differences were not identified for any of the variables included in this study. Some samples display clear evidence of diagenetic alteration without corresponding changes in radiopacity, which compromises the reliability of bone mineral density (BMD) data in the study of past populations. Cortical porosity data are not correlated with two‐dimensional measures of osteon population density (OPD). This suggests that unfilled resorption spaces contribute more significantly to cortical porosity than do the Haversian canals of secondary osteons. Continued research using complementary imaging techniques and a wide array of histological variables will increase our understanding of age‐ and sex‐specific ontogenetic patterns within and among human populations.

show abstract

“…A study of bone diagenesis from modern samples, collected from the ground surface in Amboseli National Park, showed significant reprecipitation and mineralization of bone within 40 years following death of the organism (Trueman et al 2004). A study conducted on 58 skeletal samples from a single cemetery near Khartoum, Sudan found significantly more bone diagenesis from individuals buried during wetter climatic conditions than during drier conditions (Dal Sasso et al 2014). A similar study found that contemporary burials from Dhar Oualata and Néma in Mauritania and Daounas in Mali exhibited different degrees of bone diagenesis depending on the local hydrological conditions; bone was substantially more diagenetically altered at the site with occasional flooding than at the site in the drier setting (Maurer et al 2014).…”

Section: Bone Diagenesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Accuracy vs. Precision: Understanding Potential Errors from Radiocarbon Dating on African Landscapes

Wright¹

2017

Afr Archaeol Rev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The application of radiocarbon dating to determine the geochronology of archaeological sites is ubiquitous across the African continent. Accelerator mass spectrometry has made radiocarbon dating the most precise method to determine the death of living organisms that occurred within the last 50,000 years. However, the method is not without limitations and this review article provides Africanist archaeologists with cautionary insights as to when, where, and how to utilize radiocarbon dates. Specifically, the review will concentrate on the potential of carbon reservoirs and recycled organic remains to inflate apparent age estimates, diagenesis of carbon isotopes in variable pH ecologies, and hot-humid climates and non-climate-controlled archives that can compromise the efficacy of samples. Legacy radiocarbon ages must be critically examined for what method was used to generate the age, and calibration radiocarbon ages from critical periods of African prehistory lack precision to resolve significant debates. A multipronged dating strategy and careful selection of radiocarbon sample materials are advocated from the earliest stages of research design.Résumé L'application de la datation par le carbone 14 pour déterminer la géochronologie des sites archéologiques est. omniprésente à travers le continent africain. La spectrométrie de masse a rendu la datation par le carbone 14 la méthode la plus précise pour déter-miner la mort d'organismes vivants ayant eux lieux au cours des 50,000 dernières années. Cependant, la méthode n'est. pas sans limites. Cette revue fournit les archéologues africanistes avec des appréciations et des mises en garde sur l'utilisation des âges radiocarbone. Plus précisément, cette revue se concentrera sur la possibilité que les estimations d'âge apparentes soient exagérées par la présence de réservoirs de carbone et de restes organiques recyclées, sur la diagenèse d'isotopes de carbone dans les écologies de pH variables, et sur les climats chauds et humides ainsi que les archives sans température contrôlée qui peuvent compromettre l'efficacité des échantillons. Les âges radiocarbone basés sur des données anciennes doivent être rigoureusement examinés pour en déduire la méthode employée dans la détermination d'âge. Egalement, les âges radiocarbone de calibration, issue de périodes critiques de la préhistoire africaine, manque la précision nécessaire pour résoudre des débats importants. Une stratégie de datation multiple et une sélection rigoureuse des matériaux d'échantillons de radiocarbone sont conseillées dès les premières étapes de la conception de la recherche.

show abstract

Bone diagenesis at the micro-scale: Bone alteration patterns during multiple burial phases at Al Khiday (Khartoum, Sudan) between the Early Holocene and the II century AD

Cited by 61 publications

References 29 publications

Mapping diagenesis in archaeological human bones

Mapping diagenesis in archaeological human bones

Ontogenetic changes to bone microstructure in an archaeologically derived sample of human ribs

Accuracy vs. Precision: Understanding Potential Errors from Radiocarbon Dating on African Landscapes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About