Miklós Kásler - Zoltán Szentirmay (szerk.): Identifying the Árpád Dynasty Skeletons Interred in the Matthias Church. Applying data from historical, archaeological, anthropological, radiological, morphological, radiocarbon dating and genetic research (Budapest, 2021)

CHAPTER SIX – Morphological analysis the bone structures

filters in the polarizing microscope. The outline of osteons appears through the birefringence of the collagen fibres running circularly around the Haversian canals.

B: Here

we can see the two-photon absorption fluorescence microscopic image of the same bone tissue. The excitation lasers energy reaches the necessary light intensity required for the twophoton excitement attached to the collagen fibre only in the -0.3 pm diameter, 0.1 femtoliter volume focal point, which excites the fluorescent indicator connected to the collagen fibre, and through glowing light, reveals the same structure, which is shown by the birefringence in the polarization microscope. The perpendicular collagen fibre arrangement cannot be detected.

C: The

cortex of skeleton II/52_3’s femur. After picrosirius staining following decalcination, heavily damaged bone structure can be seen. The osteon structure is broken up, the Haversian canals cannot be seen. 40x zoom.

D: The

two-photon microscopic image is of the cancellated area by the intramedullary part of the femurs corticalis

region.

Instead of the broken up parts of the osteon structure, only collagen fibre clusters can be seen stuck together. The framed area shows the femur’s denser cortexial area, but this area also lacks preserved bone structure, only a very small number of collagen fibres can be seen stuck together.

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