A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve, 1969. 2. (Szeged, 1969)

K. Dávid, Péter: Thermoanalytical Study of Human Bone Remains

As it is known, the organic components of bones undergo a slow decomposition by time and in the soil: it appears to be a really so called material ageing process. Since the obtained weight decrease is a characteristic of the aged substance i. е.: bone, that stands in a direct relationship with chemical transformations proceeding during the ageing, investigation of this can give a deeper insight into the kinetics of the ageing processes and can develop the dating methods of bones. On the basis of this concept derivatographic analyses was made on several bones with known but different origin and age. (The dating of these samples followed the conventional methods familiar in the archaeology.) Origin of the studied bones and the quantitative results of the corresponding derivatogramms are summarised in the following Table and in Fig. 2. It is to be remarked that the derivatogramms of the different bones having similar character, differences only in the weight decreases were observed and a tendency: that the longer the time of ageing (i. e. the greater the absolute age) the simpler the derivarogramms are. Sample Measured weight loss % {A G) absolute age years measured amount/ gramms Sectional processes Total year of origin absolute age years measured amount/ gramms I. 20-220 C° J. 220-380 C° III. 380-580 c° II. + III. 220-580 B° weight loss I, + II, + III. 20-380C

0 1931 0 0,300 9,16 13,0 11,3 24,0 33,20 1250 681 0,300 7,33 6,67 3,0 9,68 17,0 1000 931 0,300 8,5 8,0 2,67 9,17 1,767 550 1381 0,300 6,0 6,75 2,00 8,92 14,9 B.C. 300 2231 0,300 5,84 6,25 1,75 8,17 14,0 B.C. 3000 4931 0,300 6,17 6,17 2,00 8,<7 14,3 213