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The survival of organic matter in bone: A review

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Matthew Collins, Dr Christina Nielsen-Marsh, Jennifer Hiller, Professor Richard Prigodich, Dr Gordon Turner-Walker

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Abstract

If bone is considered as a composite of collagen (protein) and bioapatite (mineral), then three pathways of diagenesis are identified: (1) chemical deterioration of the organic phase; (2) chemical deterioration of the mineral phase; and (3) (micro)biological attack of the composite. The first of these three pathways is relatively unusual and will only occur in environments that are geochemically stable for bone mineral. However, because rates of biomolecular deterioration in the burial environment are slow, such bones would yield useful biomolecular information. In most environments, bones are not in thermodynamic equilibrium with the soil solution, and undergo chemical deterioration (path 2). Dissolution of the mineral exposes collagen to biodeterioration, and in most cases the initial phase of dissolution will be followed by microbial attack (path 3). Biological attack (3) also proceeds by initial demineralization; therefore paths 2 and 3 are functionally equivalent. However, in a bone that follows path 3 the damage is more localized than in path 2, and regions equivalent to path 1 may therefore exist outside these zones of destruction. Other biomolecules, such as blood proteins, cellular lipids and DNA, exist within the physiological spaces within bone. For these biomolecules, death history may be particularly important for their survival.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Collins MJ, Nielsen-Marsh CM, Hiller J, Smith CI, Roberts JP, Prigodich RV, Wess TJ, Csapo J, Millard AR, Turner-Walker G

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Archaeometry

Year: 2002

Volume: 44

Issue: 3

Pages: 383-394

Print publication date: 01/08/2002

ISSN (print): 0003-813X

ISSN (electronic): 1475-4754

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1475-4754.t01-1-00071

DOI: 10.1111/1475-4754.t01-1-00071

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