Publicomos

Réf.

42750

Type

article

Titre

On the use of trace elements in ancient necropolis studies: Overview and ICP-MS application to the case study of Valdaro site, Italy

Langues

English

Auteurs

Corti, Cristina / Rampazzi, Laura / Ravedoni, Cristina / Giussani, Barbara

Maison d'édition

Elsevier

Date

2013

Pagination de section

614-623

Titre de la revue

Microchemical Journal

ISSN

0026-265X

Mots-clés

necropoles / history of archaeology / archaeological heritage / archaeological remains / prehistoric sites / human remains / analysis of materials / archaeometry / statistical analysis / spectrometric analyses

Pays mentionnés

Italy

Monuments et sites

S. Giorgio Valdaro (Mantua, Italy)

Résumé en anglais

The cross-cutting study of archaeological human remains is an important tool for improving the knowledge of the past civilities. Bones are actually bio-archives, storing information about the lifestyles of the individuals, the place where they lived, the migration habits. In particular, some peculiar trace elements (such as strontium and zinc) are considered indicators of the so-called paleodiet, i.e. whether characterized by vegetables, cereals or meat. A complete overview of the concerning literature is the starting point of this work. A straightforward optimized methodology for the study of ancient bones is proposed coupling for the first time trace element determination by ICP-MS (Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Sr and Pb were investigated) and statistical data analysis. The protocol was applied to samples coming from a necropolis (dated from Neolithic to Bronze Age) found in Northern Italy including ‘The Valdaro Lovers’, a rare double burial where the two skeletons were facing each other with their arms wrapped around in an enduring embrace. Principal Component Analysis and Discriminant Analysis permitted to correctly classify individuals by the historical period in which they lived according to the archaeological and anthropological information. The results were compared with those found in the literature and a critical discussion on the use of trace metals in this case study is given.

URL

https://www.journals.elsevier.com/microchemical-journal

Document joint

On the use of trace elements in ancient necropolis studies Overview and ICP-MS application to the case study of Valdaro site, Italy.pdf

Licence

Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (BY-NC-ND)