Environment: archaeological

Millard, A.R. and Hedges, R.E.M. 1995 The role of the environment in uranium uptake by buried bone. Journal of Archaeological Science 22 239-250. 

In addition, our results suggest that removal of hpids improves both yield characteristics and elemental characteristics. Recent work by Liden et al. (1995) suggests that the methanol-chloroform method used here is more effective than other methods, such as treatment with NaOH solution, or the maintenance of an acidic environment and ultrafiltration of products during collagen extraction. It is speculated that the presence of hpids in archaeological bone samples may interfere with the acid hydrolysis of protein during... 

Child, A.M. 1995 Towards an understanding of the microbial decomposition of archaeological bone in the burial environment. Journal of Archaeological Science 22 165-174. 

Bones and teeth, however, are primary archaeological materials and are common to many archaeological sites. Bones bearing cut marks from stone tools are a clear proxy for human occupation of a site, and in the study of human evolution, hominid remains provide the primary archive material. Hence, many attempts have been made to directly date bones and teeth using the U-series method. Unlike calcite, however, bones and teeth are open systems. Living bone, for example, contains a few parts per billion (ppb) of Uranium, but archaeological bone may contain 1-100 parts per million (ppm) of Uranium, taken up from the burial environment. Implicit in the calculation of a date from °Th/U or Pa/ U is a model for this Uranium uptake, and the reliability of a U-series date is dependent on the validity of this uptake model. 

It seems appropriate, therefore, to begin a survey of archaeological materials with a discussion of inorganic materials - from minerals and rocks, the most abundant materials on the planet, to those extracted, derived, or made from them, such as metals and alloys, glass and ceramics (Chapters 1-7). Organic and biological materials produced by, or derived from plants or animals are discussed next (Chapters 8-15). Finally, the atmosphere and the hydrosphere, which make up most of the environment that affects all materials and determines the way they decay, are surveyed (Chapter 17). 

The environment has negative effects on most metals thus, when metallic archaeological objects are eventually found, they are generally in an advanced state of decay. The decay of metals and alloys caused by the chemical action of gases and/or liquids in the environment is known as corrosion. Corrosion processes are natural destructive processes that result in the waste of most metals and alloys. The ultimate result of all corrosion processes is the reversion of most metals from the metallic condition in which they are used, to the chemically combined form in which they naturally occur in the crust of the earth. Rust, the reddish-brown corrosion product that forms on... 

Ottaway, J. H. and M. R. Mathews (1988), Trace element analysis of soil samples from a stratified archaeological site, Environ. Geochem. Health 10,105-112. 

Regert, M., N. Gamier, O. Decavallas, C. Cren-Olive, and Ch. Rolando (2003), Structural characterization of lipid constituents from natural substances preserved in archaeological environments, Meas. Sci. Technol. 14, 1620-1630. 

Entrapment in certain archaeological environments can enhance lipid preservation. For example, decomposition is slowed down by dry conditions such as arid or cold climates. In charred residues, the activity of micro-organisms present in organic tissues stops and the outer surfaces are fused, providing a barrier against microbial attack. This means that lipids are often encountered in many different environments associated with artworks and archaeological objects. They appear as constituents, decoration materials or residues of the materials originally contained in a vessel. 

Although beeswax is a very stable and chemically inert material, studies have verified that the composition of beeswax found in archaeological environments may show some significant alterations compared with that of fresh material. The main changes observed are due to ... 

The aims of this contribution are to (i) consider the theoretical principles underlying the use of compound-specific stable isotope analysis in archaeology (ii) consider the practical aspects of undertaking compound-specific stable isotope analyses and (iii) demonstrate the value of linking the structures of amino acids, fatty acids and/or sterols, to their compound-specific stable isotope values to achieve new insights into variations in metabolism and environment in order to enhance archaeological interpretations. 

---