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

Kiszely, István: Derivatographic Research of Subfossile Bones

ratio of the calcium-fluorine-phosphate in the bone in respect of the fluorine is also a rather cumbersome one and it depends greatly on the soil. Investigations concerning the time of decalcination of bones, their analysis in UVlight, their histological colourability, their radiologic-optical analysis are all rough and rather subjective methods. On the derivatograph Paulik—Paulik—Erdey, with heating to 1000° C, under permanent air-flow the osseine was researched from the point of view, at which grade one can find the components of bone, which are the most dependent on the appearance of the bone, objective, can be reproduced and done easily. The first preliminary measurements of the author and Peter DÁVID beeing promising, it seemed reasonable to elaborate some details and to exclude disturbing factors. In this article a short account of this work will be given. Research methods and results As research material pure bone powder was used, taken from the middle part of tabular compact (diaphysis). Since in graves the greater bones can best resist to vicissitudes of time (thigh-bone, shin-bone, humerus etc.) it seemed reasonable to elaborate a method for the compact bone substance. In order to be able to converse the results for any given case, derivatogramms have been made for the different parts of the same skeleton. Part of skeleton 170° 220° 320° 380° 420° 580° 920° tooth 2,5 3,5 8,5 11,6 '16,0 17,5 22,0 d. temoris 2,5 3,5 8,5 11,6 12,0 15,0 20,5 d. tibiae 2,5 3,5 8,0 10,5 11,0 14,0 20,5 humerus 2,5 3,5 7,8 10,6 12,0 14,5 20,0 radius 2,5 3,5 7,8 a 0,8 12,0 15,1 21,0 parietal bone 2,5 3,5 7,5 vi 1,5 15,0 16,5 21,0 pelvis 2,5 -3,8 9,0 12,5 /15,1 18,0 23,5 femur (upper par 2,5 3,3 7,5 9,0 10,0 13,0 17,5 vertebral body 2,5 3,3 8,0 12,5 15,0 19,8 26,5 Table 1. Thermogravimetrical loss of weight in different parts of the same skeleton in percentage. (10

th century). These examinations have shown that the middle parts of the compact bones (thigh-bone, shin-bone, humerus, radius, cubitus) are best suitable for measuring (Table I.; Fig. 1.). Different, but consequently corresponding results have been gained by examination of the teeth. Diploë are less suitable to derivatographic study. It has mainly mechanical reasons: pure diploë can be more difficultly separated from impurities of the soil. Optimal quantitiy for analyses is 1,0—0,2 gr. This quantity is enough to get reliably measurable and appraisable results and, at the same time, not too much for the processes to overlap each other, because of the bad heat conduction of bone material. The greatest advantage of the derivatographic method opposed to using fluorine or C

14 is teh small quantity of substance required to it; 0,3 gr (in the case of microderivatography even less) is so little, which, if cut out with a diamond tool, used by the dentists, hardly damages the bone. 218