EVALUATING HISTOLOGICAL METHODS FOR ASSESSING HAIR FIBRE DEGRADATION |
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| Authors: | A S WILSON H I DODSON R C JANAWAY A M POLLARD D J TOBIN |
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| Institution: | 1. Archaeological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK;2. Centre for Skin Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, UK;3. Research Laboratory for Archaeology & the History of Art, University of Oxford, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK |
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| Abstract: | The hair shaft has increasing importance in bioarchaeology, since it is now possible to retrieve detailed biomolecular information on recent life history using individual fibres (e.g., on diet, drug use and DNA). Data on hair condition is an important cornerstone to ensuring that reliable information is obtained. The following study defines morphological features of degradative change in human terminal scalp hair using different microscopy techniques. Evidence of degradative change is translated into a ranked histology for assessing hair sample condition. The approach is applied to samples of cut modern scalp hair subjected to degradation under soil burial/simulated grave conditions. |
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| Keywords: | HAIR BIOARCHAEOLOGY BIODEGRADATION FORENSIC TAPHONOMY KERATIN FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY SEM TEM HRLM SUS SCROFA |
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