Initial Stages of Bone Decomposition: Causes and Consequences

Grupe, Gisela; Dreses-Werringloer, Ute; Parsche, Franz

doi:10.1007/978-3-662-02894-0_12

Cited by 18 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…It seems likely that published images (Hackett, 1981;Piepenbrink, 1986;Schultz, 1986, p. 89;Garland, 1987;Bell, 1990;Grupe & DresesWerringloer, 1992;Jackes, 1992;Grupe et al, 1993) of focal destruction gave an incorrect impression. First, magnification was too low to give a clear picture, and second, images derived only from bone cross-sections most often give a 'cluster of grapes' view.…”

Section: Densitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Destruction of microstructure in archaeological bone: a case study from Portugal

Jackes

Sherburne

Lubell

et al. 2001

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Sampling of archaeological human bone may not be justified, contrary to former high expectations regarding adult age assessment based on histomorphometry. The alterations in buried bone as a result of bacterial action are readily visible in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). An understanding of the chemical and structural changes to cortical bone requires work at the level of a few microns. This paper reports on problems encountered during analyses of samples of human bone from Mesolithic (ca. 8000 calBP) shell midden sites at Muge in central Portugal, and the methods used to try and overcome these problems. We believe we have shown that these Mesolithic bones are partly comprised of bacterially reprecipitated mineral, which has had collagen removed, with consequent obliteration of bone microstructure. We conclude that microbial destruction of the structure of archaeological bone can be a serious impediment to analysis of the characteristics of the population represented by those skeletal remains. Copyright

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Section: Densitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Destruction of microstructure in archaeological bone: a case study from Portugal

Jackes

Sherburne

Lubell

et al. 2001

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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“…The choice of micro-organisms for the collagen decomposition procedure was based on previous experiments (Grupe et al 1993), where a selection of soil bacteria proved capable of growing on macerated bone at temperatures as low as 4 "C. This experimental step, that is raising bacterial cultures, inoculation and incubation of bone, was carried out at the Institute of Microbiology at the University of Gottingen using standard protocols (see below). The micro-organisms used were purchased in a lyophilized state from the German Collection of Micro-organisms (DSM, Braunschweig) and the National Collection of Industrial and Marine Bacteria Ltd (NCIMB, Aberdeen): Bacillus subtilis (DSM no.…”

Section: Bacterial Culturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Purity checks were performed regularly but no monitoring of bacterial numbers was performed at any time. Since previous experiments had shown that temperature influenced only the velocity of bacterial growth and invasion (Grupe et al 1993), incubation was terminated when an overall yellowish to brown stain was observed, indicating that invasion of the bone by bacteria was complete. Incubation time per species thus varied between eight and 18 months.…”

Section: Bacterial Culturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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IN VITRO DECOMPOSITION OF BONE COLLAGEN BY SOIL BACTERIA: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS IN ARCHAEOMETRY*

Balzer

Gleixner²,

Grupe

et al. 1997

Archaeometry

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To understand biogenic collagen type I decomposition and to establish how diagenesis may bias archaeometric data, modern mammalian bone was inoculated with a selection of ubiquitous soil bacteria. The presence of exogenous microbial biomass in the inoculated specimens was then checked microscopically prior to collagen extraction. The experimentally degraded bone collagen showed altered amino acid compositions, attributable to the selective breakdown of certain amino acids by the bacteria. While both the bulk collagen extract and the single amino acids exhibited shifts to more negative δ13 C‐values, enrichment was recorded for general δ13 N, and a depletion trend relative to unaltered collagen was observed for individual amino acid δ13 N. One explanation for the enrichment of the global δ15N‐values is cleavage of peptide bonds, which leaves 15 N within the substrate, while the change of 13C is mostly due to the altered amino acid composition. On the other hand, possible repolymerization of cleavage products under experimental conditions may also be responsible for the depletion trend of individual amino acid δ13C‐ and δ15 N‐values. This paper discusses the results as a basis for the development of a method for the reconstruction of the isotopic abundance of the original collagen, using the amino acid composition of the degraded product, the contribution of individual amino acids to its global δ‐values and of isotope discriminations implied in the microbial decomposition.

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“…Because of the chemical and physical alterations that calcified tissues undergo in the postmortem environment, grave concerns regarding the effectiveness of elemental analysis have been raised (Ambrose, 1987;Hancock et al, 1989;Pate et al, 1989). Experimental and case studies, however, have repeatedly indicated that such effects, referred to as diagenesis, often do not significantly obscure the elemental signatures of ancient diets (e.g., Ezzo, 1992b;Grupe, 1988;Grupe and Piepenbrink, 1988;Grupe et al, 1993;Lambert et al, 1990Lambert et al, , 1991Price, 1989;Price et al, 1992;Sillen, 1986Sillen, , 1989Sillen and LeGeros, 1991). This is particularly true when cortical rather than cancellous bone is selected for analysis.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Elemental signatures of human diets from the Georgia Bight

Ezzo

Larsen

Burton

1995

American J Phys Anthropol

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Multielement analysis was performed on bone samples extracted from the femora of 39 adults from three mortuary sites (Johns Mound, Santa Catalina de Guale, and Santa Catalina de Guale de Santa Maria) and time periods (late preagricultural, early contact, and late contact) in the Georgia Bight. This study was used to investigate whether elemental analysis would support or contradict other lines of data regarding diets and dietary change previously generated for the region. The data are in agreement with an earlier interpretation, based on stable isotopes, that dietary maize increases through time but fails to support the idea that marine resources decreased in importance. Rather, it appears that the wild plant food component of the diets decreases as maize increases in importance; throughout the sequence, marine resources comprise a significant portion of the diets.

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Initial Stages of Bone Decomposition: Causes and Consequences

Cited by 18 publications

References 13 publications

Destruction of microstructure in archaeological bone: a case study from Portugal

Destruction of microstructure in archaeological bone: a case study from Portugal

IN VITRO DECOMPOSITION OF BONE COLLAGEN BY SOIL BACTERIA: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS IN ARCHAEOMETRY*

Elemental signatures of human diets from the Georgia Bight

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