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This paper presents the interdisciplinary study on the origin of “black bones” at the Neolithic lakeside settlement of Dispilio, Greece (5500–3500 BCE), where animal bones have been recovered from a waterlogged and organic soil-matrix containing charcoal, ash and burnt cultural remains. In the past, this has been interpreted as the result of the destruction of the village by fire and abandonment. This study aims to examine this theory through the distinction of burnt vs. oxide stained bones. A selection of 44 fish and 19 mammal bone samples are examined through Optical Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Microanalysis (EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) - Rietveld Analysis, Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR, NIR) and chemical analyses (ICP-MS). Alterations of histology, mineralogy, chemistry, crystallinity and structural parameters prove that the “black” bones from Dispilio owe their colour to Mn and Fe oxide staining. Light-coloured bones found at the site, have not been affected by this diagenetic procedure, which suggests that they were buried in a totally different geochemical environment. The analytical techniques employed did not offer any proof that the studied material is burnt. However, due to the fact that most techniques used to this day allow for the identification of thermal alteration of bone at temperatures usually higher than 300-450 °C, the possibility of thermal alterations due to an indirect fire, thus at lower temperatures or a fire of small duration cannot be identified and thus be ruled out. © 2019 Elsevier B.V. |
