Hlq. Stuartwilliams et al., THE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION AND DIAGENESIS OF HUMAN BONE FROM TEOTIHUACAN AND OAXACA, MEXICO, Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology, 126(1-2), 1996, pp. 1-14
We analyzed archaeological human bone from Teotihuacan and Oaxaca, dat
ing from about 300 BC to 750 AD to distinguish ethnic groups within Te
otihuacan using oxygen isotopes. Sixty-eight analyses of bone phosphat
e delta(18)O were made of 64 individuals. In addition to oxygen isotop
ic analysis, the bones were examined using FTIR spectra, with some add
itional DNAA and ICP-MS analyses. Little change occurs in the bone apa
tite until the amount of collagen (as combustible organics) has been r
educed considerably, when the bone becomes softer and FTIR crystallini
ty increases. The delta(18)O of the phosphate (delta(p)) appears to be
unaltered even after extensive diagenesis and, probably, solution. On
FTIR plots the relative area of the carbonate peak to the main phosph
ate peak decreases with diagenetic level. The bones absorb some metals
rapidly after burial, for example uranium, which then leach out as di
agenesis of the bone apatite progresses. Other metallic elements incre
ase irregularly in concentration as alteration proceeds.