Solubilities of bone mineral from archaeological sites: the recrystallization window

Stable isotope and multi-analytical investigation of Monte da Cegonha: A Late Antiquity population in southern Portugal

“…The increase of bone porosity, due to the loss of organic matter, subsequently allows interactions between bone components and groundwater, as well as promoting the precipitation of secondary minerals (Lebon et al, 2010), such as calcite. Therefore, FTIR and XRD analysis indicate that the samples have been diagenetically transformed in comparison to fresh bones (IRSF N 3.4 (Beasley et al, 2014;Berna et al, 2004;Salesse et al, 2014), C/P values out of the range 0.23 to 0.34 (Beasley et al, 2014), Am/P values below 0.9 (Salesse et al, 2014) and CI N 0 (Person et al, 1996)). …”

“…Such processes that affect bone preservation can be caused by microbial attack, temperature, humidity, hydrology, pH, and may lead to partial or complete degradation of organic matter (Beasley et al, 2014;Lebon et al, 2010). Diagenesis is also associated with uptake or exchange of ions (Wright and Schwarcz, 1996) and changes in the crystallinity of bone mineral (Berna et al, 2004). During recrystallization, bone mineral can incorporate or adsorb dissolved ionic species from groundwater into its crystal structure, but it is not inevitable that the original isotope composition is altered (Hollund et al, 2013;Lee-Thorp, 2008).…”

“…During recrystallization, bone mineral can incorporate or adsorb dissolved ionic species from groundwater into its crystal structure, but it is not inevitable that the original isotope composition is altered (Hollund et al, 2013;Lee-Thorp, 2008). Changes in crystallinity relevant to the evaluation of diagenesis can be measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) (Beasley et al, 2014;Berna et al, 2004;Brown and Brown, 2011). FTIR also gives information about the composition and structure of the organic phase (Hollund et al, 2013;Lebon et al, 2010).…”

Informative Potential of Multiscale Observations in Archaeological Biominerals Down to Nanoscale

“…Collagen loss in phosphate-based biominerals leads to an increase of porosity that, in turn, modifies the possibility of exchange between mineral phase and surrounding sedimentary environment during burial . Alteration processes can induce dissolution and/or recrystallization of the biomineral in more thermodynamically stable phases (more stoichiometric carbonate apatite, HAP and finally fluroapatite for phosphate-based biominerals and in calcite for carbonate-based minerals) and the precipitation of authigenic minerals in porosities (Berna et al 2004;Kohn et al 1999). Dissolution-recrystallization processes or diffusion, absorption and ionic exchange processes can promote the incorporation of foreign ions in the crystal lattices.…”

“…(Buckley et al 2008(Buckley et al , 2010Collins et al 1995Collins et al , 1999Collins et al , 2002Richter et al 2011Richter et al , 2011aChadefaux et al 2009a;Chadefaux and Reiche 2009). Mineral matter composition and structure was investigated by means of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), FTIR and Raman spectroscopy and various other techniques have been used to screen parameters such as crystallinity, carbonate content or uptake of foreign elements [Sr, F, rare earth elements (REE)] (Person et al , 1996aBerna et al 2004;Rogers and Daniels 2002;Edwards et al 2006; Edwards and O'Connor 2012; Bartsiokas and Middleton 1992;Trueman et al 2004Trueman et al , 2008.…”