6533b854fe1ef96bd12af365

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Bone diagenesis of archaeological human remains from Apulia (Italy) investigated by ATR-FTIR and XRF spectroscopy

Angela SciattiPaola MarzulloGabriella ChircoElena PiacenzaFederica ArcidiaconoElena DellùDelia Chillura Martino

subject

Archaeological boneMechanics of MaterialsMechanical EngineeringXRFGeneral Materials ScienceSettore CHIM/06 - Chimica OrganicaCondensed Matter PhysicsHuman remainsDiagenesisATR-FTIRSettore CHIM/02 - Chimica Fisica

description

The analysis of the organic and mineral content of biological samples allows to define post-mortem alterations and the preservation status of ancient human remains. Here, we report a physical-chemical characterization of bone specimens from some skeletal remains found in Apulia (Italy) dating back to the prehistoric, classic-hellenistic, and medieval periods. Specific infrared band ratios from Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform InfraRed and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopies were considered to evaluate the extent of the diagenetic process and the elemental composition of bone.Physical-chemical post-mortem transformations were related to the soil composition and specificity of tissue districts, burial rituals, probable dietary customs and pathologies.

10.1016/j.matlet.2022.133782https://hdl.handle.net/10447/584171