The microbiology of death
The main aim of this research was an attempt to clarify whether the protagonists of bacterial bone destruction were of a bodily origin as opposed to environmental contamination by soil bacteria and furthermore to demonstrate a time frame for such attack. It is hypothesised that bacteria from the gut commensal flora are responsible for micro-focal destruction (MFD) of bone postmortem that leaves distinctive tunnels. Microorganisms live with a person throughout their life and somewhat ironically after death persist to exploit this now nonoperational substrate. They continue to thrive and without a working immune system are capable of crossing mucosal barriers and invading both soft and hard body tissues. Experimental protocol using pigs as human analogues were combined with archaeological sections of both humans and animals. The experimental research was almost absolute in the conclusion that only the fetal material was free of MFD one year post-mortem; these were entirely skeletonised and open to contamination by soil bacteria. All of the other pigs had suffered some form of attack, including those that had not skeletonised and were not therefore subjected to soil bacteria. The archaeological material tended
White, Lorraine
The microbiology of death. The main aim of this research was an attempt to clarify whether the protagonists of bacterial bone destruction were of a bodily origin as opposed to environmental contamination by soil bacteria and furthermore to demonstrate a time frame for such attack. It is hypothesised that bacteria from the gut commensal flora are responsible for micro-focal destruction (MFD) of bone postmortem that leaves distinctive tunnels. Microorganisms live with a person throughout their life and somewhat ironically after death persist to exploit this now nonoperational substrate. They continue to thrive and without a working immune system are capable of crossing mucosal barriers and invading both soft and hard body tissues. Experimental protocol using pigs as human analogues were combined with archaeological sections of both humans and animals. The experimental research was almost absolute in the conclusion that only the fetal material was free of MFD one year post-mortem; these were entirely skeletonised and open to contamination by soil bacteria. All of the other pigs had suffered some form of attack, including those that had not skeletonised and were not therefore subjected to soil bacteria. The archaeological material tended
death main_aim attempt_clarify whether protagonist bacterial bone destruction bodily origin opposed environmental contamination soil bacteria furthermore time_frame attack hypothesise bacteria commensal flora responsible micro focal destruction bone postmortem leave distinctive tunnel live person throughout_life somewhat ironically death persist exploit substrate continue thrive without work immune system capable cross barrier invade soft hard body tissue experimental protocol use pig human analogue combine archaeological section human_animal experimental almost absolute conclusion material free post_mortem entirely open contamination soil bacteria pig suffer form attack include therefore soil bacteria archaeological_material tend