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Postmortem absorption of lead by the skeleton
Author(s) -
Waldron H. A.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330550313
Subject(s) - skeleton (computer programming) , lead (geology) , absorption (acoustics) , anatomy , materials science , geology , medicine , paleontology , composite material
In a study of bones recovered from lead coffins at two sites in the United Kingdom, the lead concentration was so high that postmortem absorption seemed the most likely explanation. Electron probe analysis showed that in one bone from a lead coffin, the lead was concentrated on the surfaces of the bone, as would be expected if absorption had occurred after death. It is suggested that in any further study of the lead content of bones from archaeological sites, steps must be taken to assess environmental lead levels and if these are unusually high, the results of the analyses should be viewed with suspicion.