|
|||||
|
|
Human soft tissue preservation in the Cova des Pas site (Minorca Bronze Age) |
|
| Authors: | Gemma Prats-Muñoz Ignasi Galtés Núria Armentano Sandra Cases Pedro Luis Fernández Assumpció Malgosa |
| Institution: | 1. Unitat d''Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;2. Centre de Patologia Forense de Collserola, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Carretera N-150, Km 1.5, Montcada i Reixach, 08110 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;3. Unitat de Medicina Legal i Forense, Departament de Psiquiatria i de Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;4. Department de Anatomia Patologica, Hospital Clínic i Institut d''Investigacions August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Abstract: | The preservation process of soft tissues in an archeological context is mainly unknown because they occur only in truly exceptional situations. The Cova des Pas is a Bronze Age site in Minorca where the special conditions enabled the preservation of some soft tissues associated with 66 individuals. This finding allows the study of the preservation process that took place by means of the analysis of the histological and chemical characteristics of the tissues. Our results show that the preservation mechanism was the adipocere, because the fatty acids profile shows higher concentration of saturated than unsaturated fatty acids. The evidence indicates that the kind of funerary ritual and the environmental conditions favored this preservation. |
| Keywords: | Taphonomy Saponification Mummification Histology Soft tissue |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ | |