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Diagenesis, not biogenesis: Two late Roman skeletal examples
J Zapata1, C Pérez-Sirvent, M J Martínez-Sánchez
1Area of Physical Anthropology, Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain. jzapata@um.es
The Science of the Total Environment
|July 11, 2006
Summary
Diagenesis significantly altered bone chemistry in Late Roman Spain, impacting trace element levels. This contamination prevents reliable paleodietary and health reconstructions from archaeological bone analysis.
Area of Science:
- Bioarchaeology
- Paleochemistry
- Human Osteology
Background:
- Bone element analysis is crucial for reconstructing past human diets, health, and environments.
- Diagenesis, or post-mortem alteration, can compromise the integrity of geochemical data from archaeological bone.
- Understanding diagenetic biases is essential for accurate paleoenvironmental and paleodietary interpretations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the extent of diagenesis in skeletal remains from two Late Roman populations in coastal south-eastern Spain.
- To assess the impact of diagenesis on trace element concentrations and calcium/phosphorus ratios in bone.
- To determine the suitability of the analyzed bone samples for paleodietary and health condition reconstructions.
Main Methods:
- Bone element analysis was performed on skeletal samples from two Late Roman sites.
- Trace element concentrations (Sr, Pb, Al, Mn) and the Ca/P ratio were measured.
- Statistical analysis was used to identify deviations from expected bone composition indicative of diagenesis.
Main Results:
- Significant diagenesis was detected in the bone samples, evidenced by elevated levels of strontium (Sr), lead (Pb), aluminum (Al), and manganese (Mn).
- The calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) ratio was also significantly altered, indicating post-mortem chemical changes.
- These diagenetic alterations rendered the bone chemistry unsuitable for reliable dietary reconstructions or health assessments.
Conclusions:
- Diagenesis poses a significant challenge to paleodietary and paleoenvironmental research using bone element analysis.
- Elevated trace elements and altered Ca/P ratios in archaeological bones necessitate critical assessment of data integrity.
- The findings highlight the widespread nature of diagenetic biases and the need for rigorous validation of geochemical data from skeletal remains.
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