The application of histomorphometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to the analysis of early Anglo-Saxon burned bone

Abstract

Macroscopic examination, histomorphometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) are applied to the analysis of burned bones from the early Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Elsham in Lincolnshire, UK. These methods were undertaken to gain a greater understanding of pyre conditions from an archaeological context and the effects of burning on bone microstructure. Sixteen samples were employed for thin-section analysis while eight samples were used with FTIR. The results suggest that these methods correspond well with macroscopic examination, though anomalies did occur. The techniques employed in this paper have demonstrated that the temperatures reached on the funerary pyres at Elsham ranged from 600 degrees C to over 900 degrees C under oxidizing conditions. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metadata

Authors/Creators:	Squires, K.E. Thompson, T.J.U. Islam, M. Chamberlain, A.
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:	© 2011 Elsevier. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Journal of Archaeological Science. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
Keywords:	Burned bones; FTIR; Histomorphometry; Anglo-Saxon; Elsham
Dates:	Published: 2011
Institution:	The University of Sheffield
Academic Units:	The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Sheffield) > Department of Archaeology (Sheffield)
Depositing User:	Miss Anthea Tucker
Date Deposited:	16 Sep 2011 09:58
Last Modified:	08 Feb 2013 17:34
Published Version:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2011.04.025
Status:	Published
Publisher:	Elsevier
Refereed:	Yes
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2011.04.025