Confocal x‐ray Fluorescence Imaging Facilitates High‐Resolution Elemental Mapping in Fragile Archaeological Bone

Choudhury, Sanjukta; Swanston, Treena; Varney, Tamara L.; Cooper, David M.L.; George, Graham N.; Pickering, Ingrid J.; Grimes, Vaughan; Bewer, Brian; Coulthard, I.

doi:10.1111/arcm.12232

Cited by 24 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…It is striking that the comparison of bone Pb deposition pattern, between the Franklin crew and the Antigua samples, shows a similar general pattern of Pb being predominantly present in the cement lines and canal walls. This matches the same general pattern that we previously reported (using both conventional and confocal SR-XFI) for samples from the Royal Naval Hospital in Antigua [ 30 , 31 ]. Thus, both timeframes from the Franklin expedition (Beechey Island and King William Island) the samples from Antigua and our previously published bulk Pb data from Antigua all exhibited very similar patterns of Pb distribution.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Our expectation was that those few osteons formed during the expedition would exhibit a clear marked elevation in Pb levels compared with the surrounding bone–with particular differences expected between older interstitial fragments and the youngest/forming osteons. We reported an example of this pattern from a sample derived from the Harney Site from Montserrat (their Fig 4B ) where osteons enriched in Pb were superimposed on a field of older bone which is largely devoid of Pb [ 30 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…No sample preparation was required for the fragments and sections previously created. The capacity of the confocal XFI technique to produce virtual sections represented a significant advantage in that the samples were preserved as they were [ 30 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The emitted fluorescence was detected using a Si-drift Vortex ® detector (SII NanoTechnology USA Inc.). For the bone samples, a polycapillary-based confocal detection strategy was employed, which preserved sample integrity by enabling non-destructive three-dimensionally resolved investigation of elements from intact samples [ 30 ]. The primary X-ray fluorescence emission lines monitored were for Pb (Pb L α , Pb L β ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Franklin expedition lead exposure: New insights from high resolution confocal x-ray fluorescence imaging of skeletal microstructure

et al. 2018

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In the summer of 1845, under the command of Sir John Franklin, 128 officers and men aboard Royal Navy ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror sailed into Lancaster Sound and entered the waters of Arctic North America. The goal of this expedition was to complete the discovery of a northwest passage by navigating the uncharted area between Barrow Strait and Simpson Strait. Franklin and his crew spent the first winter at Beechey Island, where three crewmen died and were buried. In September 1846, the ships became stranded in ice off the northwest coast of King William Island, where they remained until April 1848. At that time, the crew, reduced to 105, deserted the ships and retreated south along the island’s western and southern shores in a desperate attempt to reach the mainland and via the Back River, to obtain aid at a Hudson’s Bay Company Post. Sadly, not one individual survived. Previous analyses of bone, hair, and soft tissue samples from expedition remains found that crewmembers’ tissues contained elevated lead (Pb) levels, suggesting that Pb poisoning may have contributed to their demise; however, questions remain regarding the timing and degree of exposure and, ultimately, the extent to which the crewmembers may have been impacted. To address this historical question, we investigated three hypotheses. First, if elevated Pb exposure was experienced by the crew during the expedition, we hypothesized that those sailors who survived longer (King William Island vs. Beechey Island) would exhibit more extensive uptake of Pb in their bones and vice versa. Second, we hypothesized that Pb would be elevated in bone microstructural features forming at or near the time of death compared with older tissue. Finally, if Pb exposure played a significant role in the failure of the expedition we hypothesized that bone samples would exhibit evidence of higher and more sustained uptake of Pb than that of a contemporary comparator naval population from the 19th century. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed bone and dental remains of crew members and compared them against samples derived from the Royal Navy cemetery in Antigua. Synchrotron-based high resolution confocal X-ray fluorescence imaging was employed to visualize Pb distribution within bone and tooth microstructures at the micro scale. The data did not support our first hypothesis as Pb distribution within the samples from the two different sites was similar. Evidence of Pb within skeletal microstructural features formed near the time of death lent support to our second hypothesis but consistent evidence of a marked elevation in Pb levels was lacking. Finally, the comparative analysis with the Antigua samples did not support the hypothesis that the Franklin sailors were exposed to an unusually high level of Pb for the time period. Taken all together our skeletal microstructural results do not support the conclusion that Pb played a pivotal role in the loss of Franklin and his crew.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Franklin expedition lead exposure: New insights from high resolution confocal x-ray fluorescence imaging of skeletal microstructure

et al. 2018

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“…As part of a larger investigation, several bone samples from individuals included in this study were scanned using synchrotron radiation X‐ray fluorescence imaging (SR‐XFI) in order to map the Pb, along with other trace elements, within the bone structure as reported in Choudhury et al . () and Swanston et al . ().…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skeletal Lead Burden of the British Royal Navy in Colonial Antigua

Giffin

Swanston

Coulthard

et al. 2017

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Lead (Pb) has been known to be a cause of human poisoning since ancient times, but despite this, it was a widely used metal in the European colonial period. In this study, the relationship between Pb exposure and the demographic variables ancestry and age was explored by comparing the bone Pb levels of individuals that were of either African or European ancestry, excavated from a British Royal Navy hospital cemetery (1793–1822 CE) at English Harbour in Antigua, West Indies. More direct comparisons of Pb levels between the two ancestral groups were possible in this study because of the unsegregated nature of this cemetery. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine bulk Pb levels in cortical bone samples from the fibular diaphyses of 23 male individuals. No significant difference was found between the distributions of the Pb levels of the ancestral groups (p = 0.94). Further, no positive correlations or significant differences were found in relation to the individuals' ages and their Pb levels (p = 0.24). Levels of Ba, Ca and rare earth elements support a largely biogenic origin of lead. This is bolstered by Pb deposition patterns, generated by synchrotron X‐ray fluorescence imaging for another study. The data suggest that naval personnel, regardless of ancestry at English Harbour, had very similar experiences with regard to Pb exposure. Their exposure to the toxic metal was likely not consistent over time as steady exposure would have resulted in accumulation of Pb with age. This study contributes to addressing historical questions regarding the prevalence of Pb poisoning within the British Royal Navy during the colonial period. © 2017 The Authors International Journal of Osteoarchaeology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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Mapping bone microstructure trace element composition: Sr, Ba, Cu, and Pb in an early modern Danish skeleton

Milner

Boldsen

et al. 2023

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Objectives A Geographical Information System (GIS) approach enhances the acquisition, management, and analysis of trace element data from cortical bone. A high‐resolution spatial dimension expands the research potential of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) data from cortical bone cross‐sections. The chemical characterization of hundreds of osteons, notably sequences of superimposed osteons, permits more exacting studies of individual life histories than is possible with analyses of bulk bone samples. Methods A GIS procedure was used to estimate Sr, Ba, Pb, and Cu concentrations, originally generated through LA‐ICP‐MS, for bone microstructural features, notably fragmentary and intact osteons, in a human femoral cross‐section. The skeleton is from Ribe, Denmark, and dates to the early modern period. Results Postmortem chemical alteration was limited to the bone's outer and inner margins. Two dietary indicators, Sr and Ba, and two socioeconomic indicators, Pb and Cu, measured for individual osteons were correlated with one another. Osteon sequences indicate concentrations of all four elements increased late in life for this individual. Conclusions The application of GIS procedures expedites fine‐grained analyses of variation in the distribution of trace elements in bone microstructure identifiable in cortical bone cross‐sections. It provides an efficient means of extracting the most information possible from LA‐ICP‐MS data about the lives of people in the past. Combining the two procedures makes it easier to track exposure to elements such as Pb across the part of an individual's life represented by osteon sequences.

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Confocal x‐ray Fluorescence Imaging Facilitates High‐Resolution Elemental Mapping in Fragile Archaeological Bone

Cited by 24 publications

References 26 publications

Franklin expedition lead exposure: New insights from high resolution confocal x-ray fluorescence imaging of skeletal microstructure

Franklin expedition lead exposure: New insights from high resolution confocal x-ray fluorescence imaging of skeletal microstructure

Skeletal Lead Burden of the British Royal Navy in Colonial Antigua

Mapping bone microstructure trace element composition: Sr, Ba, Cu, and Pb in an early modern Danish skeleton

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