The effects of lime on the decomposition of buried human remains. A field and laboratory based study for forensic and archaeological application.

The inclusion of lime in burials is observed in historical and archaeological records, in contemporary mass graves and forensic cases. Clearly there are controversies within the literature and there is a general misconception of the effects of lime on decomposition. Recent casework in Belgium and the UK involving the search for human remains buried with lime, have demonstrated the need for a more detailed understanding of the effect of different types of lime on cadaver decomposition and its micro-environment. Field and laboratory experiments using pigs as human body analogues were undertaken to obtain a better understanding of the taphonomic processes that govern lime burials. The changes observed in the experiments were related back to archaeological parallels in which white residues have been found. The combined results of these studies demonstrate that despite conflicting evidence in the literature, hydrated lime and quicklime both delay the initial stages of the decay process but do not arrest it completely. The end result is ultimately the same: skeletonisation. Furthermore this study stresses the importance of the specific microenvironment in taphonomic research and highlights the need for chemical analysis of white residues when encountered in a burial. Not all white powder is lime. White residue could be identified as calcium carbonate, building material, body decomposition products, minerals or degraded lead. This study has implications for the investigation of clandestine burials and for a better understanding of archaeological plaster burials. Knowledge of the effects of lime on decomposition processes also have bearing on practices involving the disposal of animal carcasses and potentially the management of mass graves and mass disasters by humanitarian organisation and DVI teams.Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the University of Bradfor

‘Choicest unguents’: molecular evidence for the use of resinous plant exudates in late Roman mortuary rites in Britain

YesResinous substances were highly prized in the ancient world for use in ritual contexts. Details gleaned from classical literature indicate that they played a significant role in Roman mortuary rites, in treatment of the body and as offerings at the tomb. Outside of Egypt, however, where research has shown that a range of plant exudates were applied as part of the mummification process, resins have rarely been identified in the burial record. This is despite considerable speculation regarding their use across the Roman Empire. Focusing on one region, we investigated organic residues from forty-nine late Roman inhumations from Britain. Using gas chromatographyemass spectrometry and the well-attested biomarker approach, terpenic compounds were characterized in fourteen of the burials analysed. These results provided direct chemical evidence for the presence of exudates from three different plant families: coniferous Pinaceae resins, Mediterranean Pistacia spp. resins (mastic/terebinth) and exotic Boswellia spp. gum-resins (frankincense/olibanum) from southern Arabia or beyond. The individuals accorded this rite had all been interred with a package of procedures more elaborate than the norm. These findings illuminate the multiplicity of roles played by resinous substances in Roman mortuary practices in acting to disguise the odour of decomposition, aiding temporary soft-tissue preservation and signifying the social status of the deceased. Nevertheless, it was their ritual function in facilitating the transition to the next world that necessitated transportation to the most remote outpost of the late Roman Empire, Britain.R.C.B is supported by a PhD studentship from the Art and Humanities Research Council (43019R00209)

L’effet du gel sur la microstructure osseuse : histologie osseuse de restes humains du site de Recherche en Sciences Thanatologiques au Canada afin de mieux comprendre les pratiques funéraires de l’âge du Fer Sibérien

Tunnug 1 est situé dans la "Vallée des rois" dans la République de Tuva, Altaï (Sibérie). Il a été occupé à partir de l’âge du Bronze jusqu’à la période turque. Le monument principal date du début de l’âge du Fer (800 av. n. è.) et les sépultures périphériques appartiennent à la culture Kokel (IIe-IVe siècles av. n. è.). Tunnug 1 est important pour comprendre les dynamiques socioculturelles succédant à l’effondrement du premier "Empire des steppes". La Sibérie est connue pour ses température..

Lime and odour: A preliminary investigation into the effect of hydrated lime on the volatiles emitted from human remains

The location of human remains is performed primarily through the aid of cadaver detection dogs, which rely on the malodour produced through decomposition of decaying bodies. Malefactors will attempt to conceal these putrefactive odours through chemical additions such as lime, which is also wrongly believed to accelerate decomposition and prevent the identification of the victim. Despite the frequency of lime in forensic applications, to date no research has been performed to determine its effect on the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during human decomposition. This research was therefore conducted to ascertain the effects of hydrated lime on the VOC profile of human remains. Two human donors were used in a field trial at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER): one donor was covered with hydrated lime, and the other had no chemical additions acting as a control. VOC samples were collected over a period of 100 days and analysed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). The volatile samples were accompanied by visual observations of how decomposition progressed. The results showed that lime application decreased the rate of decomposition and decreased total carrion insect activity. Lime increased the abundance of VOCs during the fresh and bloat stages of decay, however the abundance of compounds plateaued during active and advanced decomposition and were much lower than those detected from the control donor. Despite this suppression of VOCs, the study found that dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide, key sulfur-containing compounds, were still produced in high quantities, and can thus still be used to locate chemically altered human remains. Knowledge of the effects of lime on human decomposition can inform the training of cadaver detection dogs, and ensure a greater chance at locating victims of crimes or mass disasters

Comment on “assessing the extent of bone bioerosion in short timescales – A novel approach for quantifying microstructural loss [Quat. Int., in press https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2023.01.011]”

We outline issues with a recent publication by Mein and Williams (2023), which is primarily based on the morphology and quantification of osteocyte lacunae, microscopic cavities that house cells (osteocytes) which sustain bone tissue in living vertebrates. Using 26 rats (Rattus rattus) of unreported age and sex, the authors propose a method whereby post-mortem bone degradation on a short timescale can be quantified by analysing subtle shape changes of osteocyte lacunae. However, a lack of consideration is given to the natural variation and other biological factors influencing osteocyte lacunar morphology; the proposed diagenetic composition of lacunae is not determined; and the methods employed, including the animal model used, are unfit for the purpose of the study. Given these issues, we believe the conclusions presented by the authors should be treated cautiously and not extended to forensic investigations of post-mortem interval, particularly in humans

Nous avons vu le Christ ! Analyses et étude d'une tombe de religieuse du XXe s.

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Preserved Human Bodies

Fascination with the exceptional survival of human remains has been of fundamental significance cross-culturally for millennia. This chapter discusses reflections on two contrasting assemblages that offer valuable insight into curation practice – The ‘National Museum of Ireland Bog Bodies Research Project’ and the ‘Wellcome Collection Mummy Project’, in combination with experimental observations of mummification and desiccation at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research. They each highlights the importance and wide-reaching benefits of a carefully planned multi-disciplinary approach to the examination of well-preserved remains and highlights the importance of public interest in preserved bodies. Radiographic imaging has long been used in clinical practice, pathology, and the study of preserved human bodies. The biomolecular integrity of preserved bodies is now considered as important as the physical evidence, with the information potential of bioarchaeological evidence an important stimulus for research

From flesh to bone: Building bridges between taphonomy, archaeothanatology and forensic science for a better understanding of mortuary practices

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From flesh to bone: Building bridges between taphonomy, archaeothanatology and forensic science for a better understanding of mortuary practices

International audienc

New anthropological data from Cussac Cave (Gravettian, Dordogne, France): In situ and virtual analyses of Locus 3

Cussac Cave presents a unique combination of parietal art and several hundred parts of scattered human remains, dated to the Middle Gravettian (29–28,000 cal BP). The cave is protected as a National Heritage site. As a result, only noninvasive bioanthropological analyses are allowed, consisting of in situ observations and the study of 3D models obtained by photogrammetry. Here we present the first results of these analyses of the human remains from Locus 3. Only 65 of the 106 human skeletal fragments and bones could be firmly identified. Virtual analyses were carried out on 3D models of 16 skeletal elements so that osteometric data could be provided. Despite the limitations inherent in studying commingled remains and those specific to Cussac Cave, the search for virtual pair-matching, articular congruence, and osteometric sorting allowed the allocation of twelve bones to three individuals, one late adolescent and two adults