Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 83. (Budapest 1991)
Pais, I. ; Tóth, T.: Human paleonutrition [sic] in the Carpathian Basin from the Neolithic to Mediaeval times based on osteochemical analysis
ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICÍ Tomus 83. Budapest, 1991 p. 285-299. Human paleonutrition in the Carpathian Basin from the Neolithic to Mediaeval times based on osteochemical analysis by I. PAIS & T. TÓTH, Budapest PAIS, I. & TÓTH, T.: Human paleonutrition in the Carpathian Basin from the Neolithic to Mediaeval times based on osteochemical analysis. - Annls hist-nat Mus. natn. hung. 1991, 83: 000-000. Abstract - The chemical analysis of samples (vertebrae spondyle and ribs) from skeletalized populations for dietarian reconstruction is given. With 13 tables and 5 figures. INTRODUCTION The Department of Anthropology of the Hungarian Natural History Museum has a very rich osteological collection. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the University of Horticulture and Food Industry is the main centre for Hungarian trace element research. Here it is possible to apply the most sensitive and rapid analytical method, the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) apparatus for determining the chemical composition of the different bone samples from different chronological periods. The present study has long since been planned (TÓTH 1980, 1984), but the actual analysis was stimulated by the 11th Congress of the "Société Internationale pour le Recherche sur le Maladies de Civilisation et l'Environment" (SIRMCE) held in Budapest at October 23-25, 1985. With the kind support of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences these two Institutes started to develop a very broad epochal-dynamic research in Hungary to create a new interdisciplinary science: the paleo-anthropo-ecology. MATERIALS AND METHODS The samples for analysis were given by the Department of Anthropology of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Vertebrae spondyle was chosen first, though later we analyzed also rib-samples from skeletalized populations. The number of analyzed male and female samples was 576. To avoid environmental contamination, we cut the outher part, i.e. the edges of samples by a metal saw made of stainless steel. One gram of each of these samples was powdered in porcelain mortars and from the homogenised samples we measured with analytical accurarcy 0.5 grams in 500 cm 3 Erlenmeyer flasks and dissolved the samples in 50 cm 3 nitric acid (ultra pure) solution with 2 molar concentration. After 24 hours and a short time of boiling the solutions were filtered and subjected to ICP-analysis. For analytical work we used a sequential ICP-apparatus with 27 channels, but we did not register the calcium- and phosphorus- values because these two elements yield enormous high values in the bone samples. We used international bone-standards for comparison. In the samples the concentration-values of arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, gallium, lithium, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium and silicon were usually very low or below the analytical sensitivity of our ICP, the potassium and sodium concentrations were found to be of little significance, therefore, we expressed only the concentration-values of the following twelve elements: aluminium, boron, barium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, lead, strontium, titanium, vanadium and zinc.
