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

Kirsty E. Squires, Tim J U Thompson, Meez Islam, Andrew Chamberlain

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    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 °C to over 900 °C under oxidizing conditions. © 2011.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)2399-2409
    Number of pages10
    JournalJournal of Archaeological Science
    Volume38
    Issue number9
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 2011

    Keywords

    • Anglo-Saxon
    • Burned bones
    • Elsham
    • FTIR
    • Histomorphometry

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The application of histomorphometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to the analysis of early Anglo-Saxon burned bone'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this