Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-22dnz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T14:39:15.124Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of Crystallinity of Apatite in Cremated bone on Carbon exchanges during burial and reliability of Radiocarbon Dating

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2019

M Minami ,
H Mukumoto ,
S Wakaki  and
T Nakamura
M Minami*
Affiliation:
Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
H Mukumoto
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
S Wakaki
Affiliation:
Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Kochi 783-8502, Japan
T Nakamura
Affiliation:
Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
*
*Corresponding author. Email: minami@isee.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study characterized cremated bone to better understand isotope exchanges during burial, using archeological samples. The cremated bones of Jokei, a Buddhist monk (AD 1155–1213), found in an urn from the Jisho-in Temple, Nara Prefecture, Japan, were used for the analysis. 14C dates were determined for eight of Jokei bone fragments of different colors (black, gray, and white). The white fragments had the highest x-ray diffractometry (XRD) crystallinity index (CI) values (0.89–1.05), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) splitting factor values (IRSF) of 5.3–7.1, and the lowest Ba concentrations. The calibrated date of the white bone fragments is 1152–1216 cal AD, consistent with Jokei’s lifespan, showing these fragments yield reliable 14C ages. Meanwhile, the black and gray fragments, which probably experienced lower temperatures during cremation, had lower CI and IRSF values of 0.25–0.46 and 4.2–4.9, respectively, and higher Ba concentrations. The black and gray fragments tended to show unreliable younger 14C dates and higher 87Sr/86Sr values close to the soil value due to soil contamination. The results in this study indicate that it is important to check crystallinity of apatite and soil contamination using chemical indexing methods such as Ba capture, to clarify the reliability of 14C dates for cremated bone samples.

Keywords

bioapatitecremated bonecrystallinityradiocarbon
Type
Conference Paper
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 61 , Issue 6: Radiocarbon 2018 Conference Proceedings Trondheim, Norway, June 17–22, 2018 Part 2 of 2 , December 2019 , pp. 1823 - 1834
Copyright
© 2019 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 23rd International Radiocarbon Conference, Trondheim, Norway, 17–22 June, 2018

References

REFERENCES

Balter, V, Saliège, J-F, Bocherens, H, Person, A. 2002. Evidence of physico-chemical and isotopic modifications in archaeological bones during controlled acid etching. Archaeometry 44:329–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berger, R, Horney, AG, Libby, WF. 1964. Radiocarbon dating of bone and shell from their organic components. Science 144(3621):999–1001.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2009. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 51(1):337–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cazalbou, S, Combes, C, Eichert, D, Rey, C. 2004. Adaptive physico-chemistry of bio-related calcium phosphates. Journal of Materials Chemistry 14:2148–2153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ericson, JE. 1985. Strontium isotope characterization in the study of prehistoric human ecology. Journal of Human Evolution 14:503–514.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodell, DA, Quinn, RL, Brenner, M, Kamenov, G. 2004. Spatial variation of strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) in the Maya region: a tool for tracking ancient human migration. Journal of Archaeological Science 31:585–601.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hüls, CM, Erlenkeuser, H, Nadeau, MJ, Grootes, PM, Andersen, N. 2010. Experimental study on the origin of cremated bone apatite carbon. Radiocarbon 52(2–3):587–599.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lanting, JN, Aerts-Bijma, AT, van der Plicht, J. 2001. Dating of cremated bones. Radiocarbon 43(2A): 249–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minami, M, Kato, T, Miyata, Y, Nakamura, T, Hua, Q. 2013. Small-mass AMS radiocarbon analysis at Nagoya University. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 294: 91–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minami, M, Suzuki, K. 2018. 87Sr/86Sr compositional linkage between geological and biological materials: A case study from the Toyota granite region of Japan. Chemical Geology 484:224–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mukumoto, H, Minami, M, Nakamura, T. 2017. Research report on Gorinto tower dedicated to Gedatsu Shonin Jokei, and urn excavated under the tower in the Jisho-in Temple, Sango-cho, Nara Prefecture 10. Gangoji Institute for Research of Cultural Property.Google Scholar
Munro, LE, Longstaffe, FJ, White, CD. 2008. Effects of heating on the carbon and oxygen-isotope compositions of structural carbonate in bioapatite from modern deer bone. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 266:142–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, EA, Broecker, WS. 1961. Lamont Natural Radiocarbon Measurements VII. Radiocarbon 3:141–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olsen, J, Heinemeier, J, Bennike, P, Krause, C, Hornstrup, KM, Thrane, H. 2008. Characterisation and blind testing of radiocarbon dating of cremated bone. Journal of Archaeological Science 35(3):791–800.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Person, A, Bocherens, H, Saliège, J-F, Paris, F, Zeitoun, V, Gérard, M. 1995. Early diagenetic evolution of bone phosphate: an X-ray diffractometry analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 22(2):211–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prince, TD, Burton, JH, Bentley, RA. 2002. The characterization of biologically available strontium isotope ratios for the study of prehistoric migration. Archaeometry 44:117–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pramanik, S, Hanif, ASM, Pingguan-Murphy, B, Abu Osman, NA. 2013. Morphological changes of heat treated bovine bone: a comparative study. Materials 6:65–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Bard, E, Bayliss, A, Beck, JW, Blackwell, PG, Bronk Ramsey, C, Buck, CE, Cheng, H, Edwards, RL, Friedrich, M, Grootes, PM, Guilderson, TP, Hajdas, I, Hatté, C, Heaton, TJ, Hoffmann, DI, Hogg, AG, Hughen, KA, Kaiser, KF, Kromer, B, Manning, SW, Niu, M, Reimer, RW, Richards, DA, Scott, EM, Southon, JR, Staff, RA, Turney, CSM, van der Plicht, J. 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration curves, 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55(4):1869–1887.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snoeck, C, Brock, F, Schulting, RJ. 2014. Carbon exchanges between bone apatite and fuels during cremation: Impact on radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 56(2):591–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Surovell, TA. 2000. Radiocarbon dating of bone apatite by step heating. Geoarchaeology 15(6):591–608.3.0.CO;2-K>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornton, EK 2011. Reconstructing ancient Maya animal trade through strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 38:3254–3263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weiner, S, Bar-Yosef, O. 1990. States of preservation of bones from prehistoric sites in the Near East: a survey. Journal of Archaeological Science 17(2):187–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wopenka, B, Pasteris, JD. 2005. A mineralogical perspective on the apatite in bone. Materials Science and Engineering C 25(2):131–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zazzo, A, Saliège, J-F, Person, A, Boucher, H. 2009. Radiocarbon dating of calcined bones: Where does the carbon come from? Radiocarbon 51(2):1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zazzo, A, Lebon, M, Chiotti, L, Comby, C, Delqué-Količ, E, Nespoulet, R, Reiche, I. 2013. Can we use calcined bones for 14C dating the Paleolithic? Radiocarbon 55(2–3):1409–1421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar