ORCID Profile
0000-0001-9883-9872
Current Organisations
Murdoch University
,
University of Notre Dame Australia
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Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-09-2023
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-01-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-01-2022
DOI: 10.1002/OA.3072
Abstract: Unlike the chemical composition and diagenetic modification of buried bones, subaqueous archaeological bone diagenesis has not been studied in detail. This observational work presents a macroscopic and microscopic characterization of 11 variably preserved archaeological terrestrial mammalian bones submerged in seawater and/or surrounded by marine sediment for 169–347 years. In situ trace element analysis was undertaken to identify geochemical fingerprints of diagenesis. The analyzed bones belong to a collection of underwater archaeological faunal materials excavated from four shipwreck sites. With one exception, all archaeological bones were fragmented, some were also heavily stained, and in two s les, the damage to the cortical layer was extensive. Bioerosion was assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and bone trace element chemistry (by laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry—LA‐ICP‐MS) was compared with that of an unsubmerged modern sheep bone control. In the control, several trace elements were low in concentration (weighted mean concentration ppm Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Y, rare earth elements, Th, U). In the submerged archaeological bones, the weighted mean concentration of Li, Cr, Cu, and U was enriched relative to the modern sheep bone, whereas Rb and Ba were depleted. The best‐preserved bone, recovered from Batavia, showed less variation in trace element patterns compared with the more poorly preserved bones. The only archaeological bone with preserved macroscopic structure and cortex showed a gradual decrease in trace element concentration from the outer surface towards the medullary cavity, whereas in s les where more cortical damage was noted, the distribution of these elements is more irregular. With the exception of Cu and Cr, the elements focused on in this work (Li, U, Rb, and Ba) are nonessential to life, supported by their low concentration in the modern sheep bone (with the exception of Ba). The results suggest that early macroscopic and microscopic diagenetic alteration influences the concentration and distribution of chemical elements in submerged bones and that in situ trace element analysis provides clues for the reconstruction of taphonomic trajectories.
Publisher: Negah Scientific Publisher
Date: 24-09-2023
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-01-2023
Abstract: Archaeoentomology is the study of insects and other arthropods recovered from an archaeological site they can be found in association with ancient human and animal remains, food, artefacts or they can be related to the environment and its changes throughout the time. Within archaeoentomology, the branch of “funerary archeoentomology” considers insects and other arthropods especially in association with human remains in funerary and burial contexts. The presence and the location of certain insect species closely associated with or nearby the remains, can be valuable in gathering information about the ecological situation at the time of burial and the changes that occurred in the environment up until the discovery of the body. Funerary archaeoentomology investigations have been carried out globally, primarily in countries like Italy, Peru, the United Kingdom and France. Similarly to forensic entomology contexts, the abundance and ersity of insects are affected by the type of burial, the macro and micro-environment of and surrounding the burial, the items associated with the cadaver, the post-mortem practices, and the time that has elapsed from the body deposition to the discovery and the excavation. While funerary archaeoentomology and forensic entomology remain two well-distinguished disciplines, the s ling practice, the insect identification process, and the analyses of the burial ecology in funerary archaeoentomology studies follow the best practices and the general guidelines of forensic entomology. In both disciplines, the correct identification of the insects is key to providing correct information. Various methods have proven effective for insect identification, i.e., morphological, molecular and chemical analysis. This review aims to collect the current knowledge in funerary archaeoentomology, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of insect identification methods in an archaeological context, and describe the groups of the most relevant insects and other arthropods found in association with ancient human remains worldwide. Furthermore, recommendations will be provided to advance the practices of archaeoentomology examinations.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-06-2021
DOI: 10.1002/OA.3013
Abstract: Foraminifera are marine single‐celled organisms, ubiquitous in marine environments, present in brackish waters and absent in terrestrial locations. Their presence has been associated with archaeological and forensic studies only rarely and just once and superficially with bones of terrestrial mammals. In this study, a new association is presented between foraminifera enclosed in the dissolving trabecular spaces of terrestrial mammalian bones, recovered in underwater archaeological excavations between 1968 and 1980. Research on the new association aims to detail the micro‐characterization of bone in underwater environments, leading to a better understanding of bone taphonomic trajectories, the chronological sequences of changes occurring between death and the incorporation of the remains of an organism within the depositional environment. The analysis of taphonomic trajectories is known to hold relevance in distinct disciplines, such as archaeology, paleontology, and forensic sciences. Different foraminiferal taxa are linked to different marine environments, characterized by specific ranges of water depth, amount of light and oxygen, temperature, and composition of sediment. The association between foraminifera and terrestrial mammalian bones indicates deposition in a marine or brackish environment thus, the analysis of the specific ecology of the identified foraminiferal taxa can point to a specific environment, adding information to paleontological, archaeological, or forensics casework.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-01-2023
Abstract: Since the 1940s, when maritime archaeology was established, the systematic excavation of submerged wrecks began to be refined. Systematic excavations led to the recovery of a vast array of organic and inorganic artefacts, including human and non-human bones and teeth. In order to preserve the materials recovered from the sea, the discipline of maritime conservation rapidly expanded and dealt with unique issues, including, but not limited to, marine salts’ encrustation of archaeological artefacts. Bone and teeth are organic artefacts which provide crucial information about natural and social environments of the past. When recovered from marine settings, they are often friable and require conservation processes and consolidation treatments, e.g., to prevent shrinkage during drying. However, conservation processes and consolidants can interfere with pathological, traumatic and taphonomical evidence associated with bone and teeth, and can bias s le preparation and analysis through mechanical action and chemical composition. The aim of this paper, in which a few ex les of interference are listed, is to highlight the need of accurately documenting any type of conservation process and/or consolidation treatment that has been performed on bone and teeth stored in archaeological collections. This becomes essential when s les are selected for study, especially if this includes destructive analysis, and will assist in clarifying any conflicting results, leading to reliable interpretations.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-07-2022
DOI: 10.3390/FORENSICSCI2030037
Abstract: In densely populated countries like Italy, cremation is promoted for the final disposition of the dead. However, many families still choose inhumation or entombment. In ordinary (traditional) tombs, bodies skeletonize slowly and partially, and often need a second disposal after the exhumation. The aim of this study was to experimentally test the functionality of a new type of tomb, defined as “aerated”. Aerated tombs feature an aerating system, absorbing materials and a purifying filter, which collectively maintain ventilation, process putrefactive fluids and gases and neutralize odors. In an experimental cemetery area with pristine soil, limbs of piglets were wrapped in cotton sheets and were either inhumed, placed in ordinary tombs or placed in aerated tombs. Following exhumation after planned time intervals (1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 months), all s les were macro- and microscopically examined. The inhumed s les were completely skeletonized by 9 months after burial, and after 12 months showed initial bioerosion in bone Haversian canals. The traditionally entombed s les developed progressive adipocere formation, whereas the s les disposed in aerated tombs became mummified. Despite this outcome, aerated tombs represent a more energy-effective, environmentally-friendly and economical choice when compared to ordinary tombs. A mummified body is lighter and drier than a body entombed traditionally and, as such, it is easier to exhume and quicker to cremate. Overall, in the absence of alternative burials, aerated tombs are more suitable than ordinary tombs for the final disposition of the dead in cemeteries with limited space. The results of this experiment add to the knowledge of taphonomical processes in temperate climates and urban environments, potentially benefitting the forensic and medico-legal community.
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-09-2023
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2021
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
No related grants have been discovered for Edda Guareschi.