A preliminary investigation of the application of differential scanning calorimetry to the study of collagen degradation in archaeological bone

The study investigated the potential application of differential scanning c alorimetry (DSC) to archaeological bone collagen deterioration. The thermal transition of collagen was compared with the preservation state of the bon es. Methods of sample preparation were shown to have a significant effect u pon the ability to extract reproducible, reliable thermal data from the col lagen. Three main protocols were examined, but the optimal method of collag en extraction (10%, w/v ethyldiamine tetraacetic acid demineralisation of b one shards) was slow, reducing the overall utility of DSC for archaeology. Comparison of the T-max (the maximum temperature of thermal transition) wit h the diagenetic state of the bone revealed no correlation with histologica l deterioration or alterations to the bone mineral or organic components. A correlation was observed, however, in young bone samples between T-max and age. This correlation was improved when thermal age, a parameter that inte grates thermal history with the temperature dependence of collagen gelatini sation, was used. In thermally older bones T-max displayed little variation . (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.