New Method Disovered for Analyzing Archaeological Bones

Scientists have discovered a new method of analyzing archaeological bones. Credit: Gary Todd / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

A new method has been developed by an Italian team that will change the way researchers do archaeology and radiocarbon dating while also safeguarding the cultural heritage. The team has successfully used this technique on old bones, revealing what was previously hidden.

Archaeologists often come across rare prehistoric bones that hold immense value. These bones can reveal a lot about the lives of ancient populations such as their diet, reproductive habits, illnesses, and migrations. However, the amount of information that can be extracted from bones is limited by the preservation of collagen.

This significant breakthrough was published in the scientific journal Communications Chemistry and is the outcome of an extensive research project led by Professor Sahra Talamo. The project involved analytical chemistry experts from both the University of Bologna and the University of Genoa.

Collagen Analysis in Old Bones

The team has created a new method to analyze old bones. For the first time, it is now possible to measure and create a detailed map of collagen – an unseen protein that is crucial in radiocarbon dating. This process enables new insights into human evolution.

Analyzing all bones at an archaeological site for collagen preservation is a difficult, expensive, and time-consuming process that can lead to the destruction of valuable material. This is especially true for human fossils and bone artifacts that are becoming increasingly rare and precious.

The Radiocarbon Conference @ETH_en just started. Today we talk about NIR-Imaging new method to find the amount of collagen in archaeological bones… Great talk Emilio 👏👏 @ERC_Research @Ciamician_unibo #radiocarbon #ArchaeologicalBones @ETH_Radiocarbon pic.twitter.com/pQ5qkLD6XP

— RESOLUTION (@ERC_RESOLUTION) September 13, 2022

Due to the changes that occur in collagen over time, a large amount of Paleolithic bones (at least 500 mg) are needed to extract enough collagen for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating (at least 1% yield). ‘

Additionally, many of the most valuable archaeological bones are too small (less than 200 mg) or too beautiful to be sampled. Therefore, it is crucial to obtain non-destructive information on the distribution and content of collagen in a bone sample.

This is where the technique described in the study excels. It allows for information on the location and content of collagen in a bone sample to be obtained without damaging the valuable material.

New Method to Analyze Collagen in the Bones

To strike a balance between preserving the artifacts and conducting radiocarbon analyses, the researchers have developed a groundbreaking technique. They used a camera, which is connected to near-infrared, to detect the average amount of collagen present in the analyzed samples.

This method ensures the integrity of the artifacts while also providing valuable information through radiocarbon analysis.

The technique described in the study is expected to aid in selecting samples for radiocarbon analysis at sites where previous attempts were not possible due to poor preservation. This will help to improve the accuracy of radiocarbon dating and further advance our understanding of human evolution.

Quantitative Information About Collagen Content

The experimental approach described in the study provides quantitative information about the average collagen content of a whole sample under investigation. This method is not limited to analyzing small and localized areas, as in single-point analysis. Instead, the entire surface of the sample can be examined, resulting in a more significant amount of data.

Furthermore, by combining the near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system with PLS regression, it was possible for the first time to determine the overall collagen content of ancient bone samples and localize it at a high spatial resolution (around 30 micrometers). This resulted in the production of detailed quantitative chemical maps.