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Burial Damage

August 8, 2017 By Adrienne Witzel

Burial damage is reflection of the material in which remains have been buried.  Along with compression and breakage, more subtle features such as root etchings and bone erosion can often be identified on recovered remains.

Soil Erosion

The type of soil in which an individual is buried has great effects on the preservation of remains. Burial damage is most often seen in interments in acidic soil, which result in severe erosion of cortical bone. Examination of any sort of pitting manifestation should be undertaken with scrutiny because such features are found in some pathologies, as well as taphomoic damage.

Root Etchings

Another type of burial damage is caused by the growth of roots underground. Bones can get in the way of growing roots and can either be broken by the pressure imposed upon the bone or scarred by the abrasive surface of bark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acknowledgements

Department of anthropology

University of Texas at Austin

Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services

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