Bone diagenesis in the loess deposits of Central Europe: the Celtic site of Radovesice in Bohemia
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(2020) 12:257
ORIGINAL PAPER
Bone diagenesis in the loess deposits of Central Europe: the Celtic site of Radovesice in Bohemia Dita Machová 1 & Petra Mácová 1 & Gregor Mali 2 & Petr Velemínský 3 & Alberto Viani 1 Received: 17 July 2020 / Accepted: 3 October 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The diagenetic modifications of archaeological bones from the Celtic site of Radovesice (Czech Republic) were described combining histological and instrumental analysis with infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The post-mortem changes in microstructure, mineral and organic fraction of human bones were related to seasonal fluctuations in water saturation and temperature, reflecting the Atlantic influence on the continental climate system of this transitional area of Eastern-Central Europe. The effects of a burial environment characterised by a well-oxygenated soil with good hydraulic conductivity, which evolved from the Quaternary loess deposits of the Bohemian massif, led to a common diagenetic pathway, which comprised micro-fissuring, mineral dissolution and degradation of collagen by microbial activity, followed by secondary calcite deposition under mildly alkaline conditions. Observed intra-site variations reflected changes in the early taphonomic history or in microenvironmental conditions, such as prolonged acidic conditions hindering apatite reprecipitation, as well as secondary calcite crystallisation. Diffuse effects of surface abrasion by sediments and absence of brown staining did not support the hypothesis of extensive use of wooden coffins. New indexes obtained from 31P and 1H NMR, respectively, were employed to describe diagenesis. They were found to correlate with FT-IR indexes, although reflecting distinct structural characteristics of bone which are not accessible to FT-IR. Keywords Bone diagenesis . Bioapatite . Histology . Nuclear magnetic resonance . Loess . Taphonomy
Introduction Identification of physical and chemical changes occurring in bone after death is of help in addressing a series of questions of interest for palaeoclimatology, palaeoanthropology, palaeopathology, palaeodemography and forensic archaeology, in museums or in the archaeological context for Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-020-01218-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Alberto Viani [email protected] 1
Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre Telč, Prosecká 809/76, 190 00 Prague 9, Czech Republic
2
National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
3
Department of Anthropology, National Museum, 11579 Prague 1, Czech Republic
conservation purposes (Baron et al. 1996; Booth 2016; De Boer et al. 2013; Hedges 2003; Hollund et al. 2012; Nielsen-Marsh et al. 2007; Smith et al. 2007; Trueman and Martill 2002; Turner-Walker 2008; van Klinken 1999; Wright and Schwarcz 1996). The diageneti
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