Is it possible to determine low-temperature cooking in archaeological bones? The indirect exposure of bones to fire at low temperature (≤ 100 C), linked to cooking, produces macroscopic modifications on these bones. These modifications have not been clearly or systematically described previously. Instead, physicochemical changes at nanometric level are only now beginning to be understood. In this paper, our principle aim is to explore new methods and techniques that correlate macroscopic features such as smoothness or light transparency with physicochemical characterization results that could aid towards detecting cooked bones in the archaeological record.This study then selected 11 archaeological samples, both human and non-human. Bones were considered to be thermally treated or not, on the basis of macroscopic criteria. Complementary characterization techniques were used to study morphology (scanning electron microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering), structure (X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy), local composition (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and texture (gas adsorption). Indeed, fractal dimension, particle size, crystalline percentage or specific surface area may well explain some of the macroscopically observed modifications on these samples. The possibility that such apparent modifications may also be due to diagenesis is also considered.From an archaeological point of view, the results are promising. Our characterization of human and non-human bones demonstrates that physicochemical techniques are complementary and provide good criteria against which to distinguish boiled from un-boiled archaeological samples.
Resumo Este artigo apresenta o estudo de caso de um sepultamento secundário escavado no sítio Pedra do Cachorro, 760 ± 30 A.P., Buíque, em Pernambuco, Brasil, contendo remanescentes ósseos humanos de um indivíduo adulto, masculino, cuja análise bioarqueológica revelou sinais de descarnamento ativo do cadáver e outras evidências de manipulação intencional em ossos frescos, como cortes, fraturas, golpes e esmagamento. A metodologia de análise adotada para a identificação das manipulações perimortem nos ossos permite a reflexão acerca da complexidade desta prática funerária e do seu contexto em relação a outros achados arqueológicos da pré-história brasileira.
Este artigo apresenta os primeiros resultados sobre a observação macroscópica de indicadores bioarqueológicos das práticas mortuárias complexas, em um esqueleto humano que foi coletado assistematicamente no abrigo Pedra do Cachorro, Buíque - PE e encaminhado pelo Iphan-PE ao Departamento de Arqueologia da UFPE. Durante a análise laboratorial, foram identificadas marcas perimortem de manipulação intencional — cortes, fraturas e golpes — potencialmente vinculadas por exemplo a contextos funerários ou extra-funerários relacionados ao canibalismo, práticas de sepultamento secundário com descarnamento ativo ou redução do cadáver ou morte violenta. Essas práticas foram sugeridas como hipóteses preliminares, até que sejam realizadas escavações arqueológicas sistemáticas no local e recuperadas informações sobre o contexto arqueológico da deposição mortuária em estudo. ABSTRACTA human skeleton that was emerging in surface of Pedra do Cachorro, Buíque - PE rock shelter, was recovered in nonsystematic way and for intervention of Iphan-PE was sent to custody to the Department of Archaeology at UFPE. A bioarchaeological analysis showed the presence of several perimortem marks of intentional manipulation (cuts, fractures and blows) potentially linked to a series of complex mortuary practices (cannibalism, secondary burial practices with active defleshing, violent death), suggested as preliminary hypotheses to be tested, until doing systematic excavations at the site.Keywords: Bioarchaeology; complex mortuary practices; Pedra do Cachorro; Pernambuco.
Las termitas son insectos que aparecen muchas veces en contextos arqueológicos en Brasil y casi nunca son objeto de estudio como procesos naturales de formación de los depósitos y contextos arqueológicos. La probabilidad de que se encuentren marcas de estos insectos modificadores de carcasas de animales y humanos en sitios arqueológicos en Brasil y en Sudamérica hace pertinente su estudio. A partir de una aproximación teórica - metodológica que comprende la Icnoarqueología y la Arqueoentomología Funeraria, presentamos el caso de estudio de un esqueleto humano con señales de bioerosión debidas a la acción de termitas subterráneas en el sitio arqueológico Toca do Enoque (Piauí, nordeste de Brasil) del Holoceno Medio. Guiados por un protocolo de estudio actualístico, pudimos registrar que el patrón de daños observado en los huesos resultó ser consistente con el comportamiento osteofágico de ciertas especies de termitas endémicas de la región Neotropical (Familia: Termitidae). El análisis macroscópico muestra la importancia de reconocer a los isópteros subterráneos como agentes tafonómicos naturales que pueden actuar en la degradación postdeposicional de restos óseos humanos provenientes decontextos funerarios arqueológicos.
A potential context of care is suggested in a case study of an anomalous burial from a severely diseased infant of 9 months (±3 months) of age at death, which displayed significant signs of infectious and/or metabolic illnesses on the skeleton. The body also received special mortuary treatment, including associated body reduction processes and display of corporeal relics. The case study corresponds to Individual 9 from Burial 2 at Toca do Enoque, an archaeological site from north‐eastern Brazil used as a funerary site by a pre‐ceramic hunter‐gatherer group during the Middle Holocene (6,220 ± 50 to 6,610 ± 40 years BP). Despite its inherent difficulty, the model of “Bioarchaeology of Care” was applied to this case study providing new research into past health‐related caregiving, addressing the differences between normative parental care and non‐normative healthcare given to altricial children in the past.
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