An investigation into the relationship between bone diagenesis and funerary treatment
After death, the skeleton of a vertebrate organism undergoes a variety of physical and chemical changes that lead to its destruction or fossilisation (diagenesis). The most common type of archaeological bone diagenesis consists of internal microscopic tunnelling produced by invasive microorganisms (bioerosion). There is evidence that an organism's intrinsic gut bacteria associated with bodily putrefaction are responsible for the most common type of bone bioerosion. Bacterial bioerosion of archaeological bone should be related to how early post mortem treatment of a corpse affected bone exposure to putrefaction. Measures of bacterial bioerosion may aid taphonomic reconstructions of past funerary treatments of human remains. A plethora of variables can affect bodily decomposition, and it is uncertain how far bacterial bioerosion reflects anthropogenic or natural processes. Bone undergoes a variety of interrelated diagenetic changes over its depositional history and bacterial bioerosion must be understood within its diagenetic context. The purpose of this study was to determine how far microscopic examination of archaeological bone diagenesis may aid in reconstructions of funerary rites. This objective was addressed
Booth, Thomas
An investigation into the relationship between bone diagenesis and funerary treatment. After death, the skeleton of a vertebrate organism undergoes a variety of physical and chemical changes that lead to its destruction or fossilisation (diagenesis). The most common type of archaeological bone diagenesis consists of internal microscopic tunnelling produced by invasive microorganisms (bioerosion). There is evidence that an organism's intrinsic gut bacteria associated with bodily putrefaction are responsible for the most common type of bone bioerosion. Bacterial bioerosion of archaeological bone should be related to how early post mortem treatment of a corpse affected bone exposure to putrefaction. Measures of bacterial bioerosion may aid taphonomic reconstructions of past funerary treatments of human remains. A plethora of variables can affect bodily decomposition, and it is uncertain how far bacterial bioerosion reflects anthropogenic or natural processes. Bone undergoes a variety of interrelated diagenetic changes over its depositional history and bacterial bioerosion must be understood within its diagenetic context. The purpose of this study was to determine how far microscopic examination of archaeological bone diagenesis may aid in reconstructions of funerary rites. This objective was addressed
investigation relationship bone diagenesis funerary_treatment death skeleton vertebrate organism undergoes variety physical_chemical change lead destruction diagenesis common type archaeological_bone diagenesis consist internal microscopic tunnel produce invasive evidence organism intrinsic bacteria associate bodily responsible common type bone bacterial archaeological_bone relate early post_mortem treatment corpse affect bone exposure measures bacterial may aid taphonomic reconstruction past funerary_treatment human_remain plethora variable affect bodily decomposition uncertain far bacterial reflect anthropogenic natural process bone undergoes variety interrelate diagenetic change depositional history bacterial must_understand within diagenetic context purpose_study determine far microscopic examination archaeological_bone diagenesis may aid reconstruction funerary_rite objective address