An Investigation Into the Relationship Between Funerary Treatment and Bacterial Bioerosion in European Archaeological Human Bone

摘要: A central problem in funerary archaeology is interpreting how the corpse was manipulated immediate post mortem period. The extent of bacterial bioerosion to internal bone microstructure has been proposed as a means infer early history corpse, it suggested that this form diagenesis produced by an organism's putrefactive gut bacteria. Under model, different forms treatment would be expected leave characteristic signatures archaeological bone. Here, we tested which ancient human bones reflected treatment, through histological analysis 301 thin sections from 25 European sites. We found significantly influenced whether originated neonatal individual or anoxic context. When these remains were excluded, controlled phase manner consistent with known and forensic models bodily decomposition. These findings suggest microscopic analyses have useful applications reconstructions processes provide some insight into factors may control persistence organic biomolecules fossilization.