Achaeometrical Research in Hungary II., 1988

BIBLIOGRAPHY - SUMMARIES - DATING

Csapó J., Csapó-Kiss Zs., Költő L., Némethy S., Folestad, S., Tivesten, A., Martin, T. G.: Age determination based on amino acid Racemization: A new possibility = World Archaeological Congress-3. New Delhi, India, December 4-11 (1994). A method has been developed to determine the Age of fossil bone samples based on amino acid Racemization (AAR). Approximately one hundred fossil bone samples of known Age from Hungary were collected and analysed for D- and L- amino acids. As the Racemization of amino acids is affected by temperature, pH, metal content of the Soil, and time passed since death, These factors were eliminated by comparing the estimated Age to Age determined by the radiocarbon method. Determining the D- and L-amino acid contents in samples of known Age, determining the half life of Racemization and plotting the D/L ratio as a function of time, calibration curves were obtained. These curves can be used for the Age estimation of samples after determining their D- and L-amino acid content. The D/L ratio for 2 to 3 amino acids was determined for each sample and the mean value of estimated ages based on calibration curves was considered to estimate Age of the fossil samples. Csapó J., Mrs. Csapó J., Költő L

M Pap I., Némethy S.: Gyapjúszőnyegek korának meghatározása a cisztin, a ciszteinsav, a metionin és a tirozin tartalom alapján (Age estimation of old carpets based on cystine, cysteic acid, methionine and tyrosine content) = Somogyi Múzeumok Közleményei 11 (1995) 255-260. A method for evaluation of Age of wool carpets and textiles was developed based on the Age dependent alteration of amino acid composition of proteins. Samples of 23 wool carpets and textiles of known Age, obtained from the Hungarian Museum of Industrial Arts and the Hungarian National Museum were analysed for amino acid content. Results were compared with data obtained for contemporary, untreated wool and wool carpet. The cysteic acid content of wool increased with Age. The contemporary wool carpet contained 0.31 g of cysteic acid in 100 g of protein. Comparable figures were 1.87g for 550-year old carpet and 4.01-4.39g for the 1600-1750-year old wool carpets. Cystine content decreased with Age corresponding figures being 7.88, 3.12, 1.19-0.97, resprectively. Corresponding contents of methionine were 0.43, 0.21, and 0.20-0 and for tyrosine were 3.07, 2.11 and 0.20-0. Prediction equations were developed as linear regressions of Age' of wool on cysteic acid, cystine and tyrosine contents. The 95% confidence intervals of estimates for two samples of unknown Age were estimates plus or minus 30 and 38 years. Csapó-Kiss Zs., Csapó J., Költő L., Némethy S.: A possible error of amino acid dating = Archaeological Sciences Conference, Liverpool, England, July 3-6 (1995) 51. Recently, we were dealing with Age determination of fossil bones based on Racemization ratios of amino acids and the Epimerization of isoleucine. We were also determining proteins of bacterial origin from natural materials such as rumen-liquid. We found that the diaminopimelic acid (bacterial protein marker) and D-allo-isoleucine, using ion exchange chromatography, appeared together on the chromatogram and our efforts to separate them (changing the pH, the ionic strength of the buffer and the temperature of the ion exchange resin) were not successful. Since the Age determination based on amino acid Racemization has been subject to increasingly severe criticisms during the last few years 281