Related Experiment Videos
[Biogenic decomposition of bone collagens]
1Institut für Anthropologie und Humangenetik, Universtiät München.
Summary
Soil bacteria degrade bone collagen, altering its composition and isotopic signatures. Understanding these diagenetic changes is crucial for accurate analysis of archaeological bone collagen.
Area of Science:
- Biogeochemistry
- Taphonomy
- Archaeometry
Context:
- Soil bacteria are ubiquitous in burial environments and significantly impact bone collagen.
- Diagenetic alterations in bone collagen can obscure original biological signals.
- Archaeometric analyses of bone collagen must account for these post-mortem modifications.
Purpose:
- To investigate the role of soil bacteria in bone collagen decomposition.
- To identify and characterize diagenetic modifications in archaeological bone.
- To develop a model for assessing biogenic decomposition in bone.
Summary:
- Taphonomic experiments on human bones utilized histological, biochemical, and biophysical methods.
- A high molecular weight decomposition product was identified, showing altered amino acid composition and isotopic deviations.
- Isotope analysis of amino acids revealed collagen fragment rearrangement due to decomposition.
Impact:
- This research highlights the necessity of correcting for diagenetic effects in archaeometric studies.
- The findings provide a framework for distinguishing between biological and diagenetic signals in ancient bone.
- Understanding collagen decomposition aids in more accurate interpretations of past environments and human activities.