Ancient and modern bone diagnosis: Towards a better understanding of chemical and structural feature alterations

Abstract

Chemical and structural alterations hold great importance in the field of diagenesis. Attenuated Total Reflectance − Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) is a valuable method for examining bio-apatite composition changes. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to analyze both modern and archaeological bone specimens. Organic and mineral component changes in modern and ancient samples were investigated. Ancient bone samples were collected from two archaeological sites in Jordan, dating back to the Iron and Byzantine ages. IR results indicated that collagen cross-links and mineral maturity are higher in modern bones compared to ancient bones. Additionally, the crystallinity index is higher in modern bones than in archaeological bones, while the carbonate to phosphate ratio (C/P) is lower in modern bones than in ancient ones. Curve fitting was applied to reveal the carbonate substitution inside the hydroxyapatite lattice within the IR region from 850 to 890 cm⁻¹. A2-type carbonates (identified as υ2 of CO₃²⁻) denote hydroxyl site substitution, and B-type carbonates represent a substitution to the phosphate site. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the peak at 604 cm⁻¹ from IR spectra reveals that crystallinity is higher in modern bones, as confirmed by the FWHM of the (002)-apatite pattern in XRD. Statistical analysis was conducted to validate these findings, ensuring the robustness of the results. Finally, the results obtained in this investigation align with previous literature reports regarding ATR-FTIR ratios. This suggests that modern bones have better crystallinity compared to ancient bones. Furthermore, the ATR-FTIR ratios indicate that the hydroxyl and phosphate sites of modern bones undergo more substitution than older bones. The findings of this study not only enhance our understanding of the diagnostic processes in archaeological bone specimens but also have broader implications for fields such as archaeology, anthropology, and forensics, where the analysis of bone composition and structural changes can provide valuable insights into the history and characteristics of ancient remains.