Degradation of bone material in time

Abstract

Archaeology and anthropology are deeply interested in new technologies on reliable identification of belonging of excavated humans' skeletons of middle centuries. The investigations are devoted to detect the irreversible structural changes in bones, what form up in time. Taking into account that bone as a material relaxes in time, the work is targeted to find physical methods for characterizing structurally depended relaxing physical properties of human bones from the XIII-XVIII centuries compared with the eligible specimens from the XX-XXI centuries. The research of physical properties for characterizing degradation processes in time is targeted at macro-, micro and nano- scales: 1) for estimating of bones at macro structural scale X-ray computer tomography is used, 2) for investigation of several century human bones at micro structural level and micro-hardness, micro indentation measurement techniques were applied. 3) for examination at nano- scale Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Photo thermo stimulated electron emission (PTSEE) analysis measurement techniques were applied. The radiographic density changes measured in Hounsfield units obtained from computer tomography, have not dependence from time (centuries). The HV and E of several centuries' human bones obtained from micro hardness measurements have linear correlation with time (centuries). FT-IRS provides a maximum at line at 2350 cm-1 and minimum at 1726 cm-1 typical for the bones belonged to the XX century in contrast with specimens from other centuries. PTSEE has supplied a correlation of emission current derivation on the time (century). © 2008 Springer-Verlag.