Exceptional preservation of a prehistoric human brain from Heslington, Yorkshire, UK

O'Connor, Sonia; Ali, Esam M. A.; Al-Sabah, Salim; Anwar, Danish; Bergström, Edmund T.; Brown, Keri A.; Buckberry, Jo; Buckley, Stephen; Collins, Matthew J.; Denton, J.; Dorling, Konrad M.; Dowle, Adam; Duffey, Phil; Edwards, Howell G. M.; Faria, Elsa Correia; Gardner, Peter M.; Gledhill, Andy; Heaton, Karl; Heron, C.; Janaway, Rob; Keely, Brendan J.; King, David G.; Masinton, Anthony; Penkman, Kirsty; Petzold, Axel; Pickering, Matthew D.; Rumsby, Martin G.; Schutkowski, Holger; Shackleton, Kimberley A.; Thomas, Jerry R.; Thomas‐Oates, Jane; Usaï, Marianna; Wilson, A. S.; O'Connor, T. P.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2011.02.030

Cited by 42 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The survival of brain tissue indicated that a high level of anoxic/reducing condition was maintained inside the coffins. Similar cases were observed previously, such as the prehistoric human brain from Heslington (O'Connor et al, 2011), Inca (Ceruti, 2004) and Ancient Egypt mummies (David, 1997;Karlik, Bartha, Kennedy, & Chhem, 2007;Lewin & Harwood-Nash, 1977), frozen (Notman, Anderson, Beattie, & Amy, 1987) and iced (Hess, Klima, Pfaller, Künzel, & Gaber, 1998) bodies from church burial (Adams & Reeve, 1987).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Perfect vivianite crystals excavated from a highly sealed ancient tumulus in Jing'an County, Jiangxi Province, China

Huang¹,

Jin

et al. 2019

Archaeological Prospection

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Large amounts of perfect crystals were excavated from ancient coffins dating 2510 (±50) bp, in Jing'an County, Jiangxi Province, China. The coffins were wrapped by multiple bamboo mats and sealed highly by waterproof soil layers. In this study, crystals, wooden coffins, surrounding water and clay materials of several buried wooden coffins were subject to various analyses, and the crystals were identified to be vivianite by single crystal X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Spatial distribution of the vivianite crystals, which was consistent with first Fick's diffusion principle, indicated that the phosphate (PO43−) of the vivianite was originated from human bone that was demineralized under an acidic clay condition. Spatial distributions of iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) and iron(II) oxide (FeO) indicated that iron(II) cations (Fe2+) of the vivianite originated from clay outside the coffins. Perfect vivianite crystals were formed at an extremely slow rate within the highly sealed coffins, in which Fe2+ and PO43− concentrations were of such a low level that the rapid precipitation of imperfect vivianite crystals was prevented, as the clay colloid could infiltrate only along the limited passageways of jointed seams between two halved timbers of the coffins.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Perfect vivianite crystals excavated from a highly sealed ancient tumulus in Jing'an County, Jiangxi Province, China

Huang¹,

Jin

et al. 2019

Archaeological Prospection

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show abstract

“…A body of medium density material located at the posterior portion of the cranial cavity (Fig. 5) was thought possibly to comprise atrophied brain matter, similar to preserved brain tissue recently noted in an Iron Age skull from Heslington, Yorkshire, UK (O'Connor et al 2011). A quantity of shrunken brain matter was similarly preserved within the skull of Henri IV (Charlier et al 2010a, b).…”

Section: Noninvasive Imagingsupporting

confidence: 53%

Multidisciplinary analysis of a mummified cranium claimed to be that of a medieval execution victim

Smith

Kneller

Elliott

et al. 2011

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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This article presents a multidisciplinary analysis of a human skull with preserved soft tissue curated by a small museum in Boscastle, Cornwall, UK. The skull lacks a mandible and is coated in a black tar-like substance. Records left by a previous museum curator (now deceased) claimed the skull to be the head of a medieval execution victim. The skull was purportedly recovered from a London church that was destroyed during the Second World War where it had been kept in a carved oak box. If these details are correct, the skull would appear to have been venerated as a relic. The skull and box have been analysed using a range of techniques including computerised tomography, laser scanning, microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and radiocarbon dating. These analyses demonstrated the skull in fact to be that of an Egyptian mummy dating from the Ptolemaic period. Other instances have been noted of parts of Egyptian mummies being presented as European saintly relics, and the 'Boscastle skull' would appear to be an example of such. A wider point illustrated by the work presented here is that sufficient application of modern analytical techniques may reveal considerable information regarding human remains which otherwise have little or no provenance. This point strengthens arguments for the retention of such remains by curating institutions.

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“…Similarly, postmortem imaging studies have demonstrated settling of blood in cortical veins and venous sinuses, with thickening and increased attenuation of the adjacent dependent skin and subcutaneous tissues (14,15). Measurement of the wet weight/dry weight ratios of the rat brains provides a method of determining the percentage of fluid (3,6, and 24 h), a significant increase in brain fluid content was observed when compared to control animals, reaching a peak at 24 h (****denotes p < 0.0001 when compared to controls; ##denotes p < 0.01). content of the cerebral tissues.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain Fluid Content Related to Body Position and Postmortem Interval – An Animal Model

Leonard

Vink

Byard

2016

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were euthanized and placed in a horizontal or vertical (head-down) position at room temperature, after which brain fluid content was measured by a moisture analysis technique at variable time points. No significant difference in brain fluid content was observed between horizontal and vertical postmortem positions. A significant increase in brain fluid content was demonstrated 3, 6, and 24 h after death, with maximal fluid content observed at 24 h. Specifically, the brain fluid content of control animals was 77.79 ± 0.36%, increasing to 80.05 ± 0.22% at 24 h (p < 0.0001). This study has demonstrated no significant differences in brain fluid content related to postmortem position, suggesting that a head-down position is not associated with increased brain fluid content or swelling. However, significant temporal increases in brain fluid content after death, most likely related to cerebral liquefaction, occur.

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Exceptional preservation of a prehistoric human brain from Heslington, Yorkshire, UK

Cited by 42 publications

References 35 publications

Perfect vivianite crystals excavated from a highly sealed ancient tumulus in Jing'an County, Jiangxi Province, China

Perfect vivianite crystals excavated from a highly sealed ancient tumulus in Jing'an County, Jiangxi Province, China

Multidisciplinary analysis of a mummified cranium claimed to be that of a medieval execution victim

Brain Fluid Content Related to Body Position and Postmortem Interval – An Animal Model

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