The FT-Raman spectrum of the bone sample from Burial 511 from Ban Non Wat (Raman ID 41), one of the 6 bones that displayed high protein content relative to the other Ban Non Wat specimens.

<p>Inset is of the C-H stretch region.</p

Percentage of nitrogen content (w/w) versus the organic-phosphate (<i>ν</i>₁) ratio.

<p>Percentage of nitrogen content (w/w) versus the organic-phosphate (<i>ν</i>₁) ratio.</p

Is It Health or the Burial Environment: Differentiating between Hypomineralised and Post-Mortem Stained Enamel in an Archaeological Context

<div><p>Developmental enamel defects are often used as indicators of general health in past archaeological populations. However, it can be difficult to macroscopically distinguish subtle hypomineralised opacities from post-mortem staining, unrelated to developmental defects. To overcome this difficulty, we have used non-destructive x-ray microtomography to estimate the mineral density of enamel. Using a sample of deciduous teeth from a prehistoric burial site in Northeast Thailand, we demonstrate that it is possible to determine whether observed enamel discolourations were more likely to be true hypomineralised lesions or artefacts occurring as the result of taphonomic effects. The analyses of our sample showed no evidence of hypomineralised areas in teeth with macroscopic discolouration, which had previously been thought, on the basis of macroscopic observation, to be hypomineralisations indicative of growth disruption. Our results demonstrate that x-ray microtomography can be a powerful, non-destructive method for the investigation of the presence and severity of hypomineralisation, and that diagnosis of enamel hypomineralisation based on macroscopic observation of buried teeth should be made with caution. This method makes it possible to identify true dental defects that are indicative of growth disruptions.</p></div

The location of the site of Ban Non Wat in present-day northeast Thailand, and other important archaeological sites (from [38].

<p>The location of the site of Ban Non Wat in present-day northeast Thailand, and other important archaeological sites (from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0098462#pone.0098462-Higham2" target="_blank">[38]</a>.</p

Percentage of collagen content (w/w) versus the organic-phosphate (<i>ν</i>₁) ratio.

<p>Percentage of collagen content (w/w) versus the organic-phosphate (<i>ν</i>₁) ratio.</p

Weight % nitrogen (%N), weight % carbon (%C), % yield of gelatin relative to undemineralised bone starting weight (% collagen), and Raman organic-phosphate ratio [C-H/PO₄³⁻ (<i>ν</i>₁)] for eight samples for which stable isotope analysis indicates weight % nitrogen at extremely low levels (7 µg or less), including one sample with extremely low weight % carbon.

<p>Two further samples included here (burials 189 and 560) could not have their Raman ratio determined due to fluorescence. The %N, %C, and the atomic CN ratio [Atomic C:N  =  (%C/%N) ×1.1666] from stable isotope analysis are provided to illustrate mass spectrometry indicators of protein survival. The % collagen yield is calculated from bone weight before demineralisation.</p

Percentage of carbon content (w/w) versus the organic-phosphate (<i>ν</i>₁) ratio.

<p>Percentage of carbon content (w/w) versus the organic-phosphate (<i>ν</i>₁) ratio.</p

Weight % nitrogen (%N), weight % carbon (%C), % yield of gelatin relative to undemineralised bone starting weight (% collagen), and Raman organic-phosphate ratio [C-H/PO₄³⁻ (<i>ν</i>₁)] for 31 Ban Non Wat skeletal samples.

<p>The %N, %C, and the atomic CN ratio [Atomic C:N  =  (%C/%N) ×1.1666] from stable isotope analysis are provided to illustrate mass spectrometry indicators of protein survival. The % collagen yield is calculated from bone weight before demineralisation.</p

The First New Zealanders: Patterns of Diet and Mobility Revealed through Isotope Analysis

<div><p>Direct evidence of the environmental impact of human colonization and subsequent human adaptational responses to new environments is extremely rare anywhere in the world. New Zealand was the last Polynesian island group to be settled by humans, who arrived around the end of the 13th century AD. Little is known about the nature of human adaptation and mobility during the initial phase of colonization. We report the results of the isotopic analysis (carbon, nitrogen and strontium) of the oldest prehistoric skeletons discovered in New Zealand to assess diet and migration patterns. The isotope data show that the culturally distinctive burials, Group 1, had similar diets and childhood origins, supporting the assertion that this group was distinct from Group 2/3 and may have been part of the initial colonizing population at the site. The Group 2/3 individuals displayed highly variable diets and likely lived in different regions of the country before their burial at Wairau Bar, supporting the archaeological evidence that people were highly mobile in New Zealand since the initial phase of human settlement.</p></div