David--
I don't know what processes cause it, but I have seen a lot of bone that
appears to have gone some sort of diagenetic change that mimics
calcining. I see this a lot in assemblages from wet, acidic sediments. It
is very common in sites along the Columbia River and the Willamette River
in Oregon. The specimens I've seen are typically very poorly preserved,
and are white with a chalky texture.
Ruth
At 02:09 PM 10/20/03 -0700, David Maxwell wrote:
>Does anyone know of taphonomic or other processes that can mimic calcined
>bone -- basically conditions that might turn bone the white or gray
>typical of exposure to high temperatures. I'm working on an assemblage
>from mainland southern California (within a few miles of the coast, but
>not in sight of it), and calcined bone is extremely common, accounting for
>more than 30 percent of the collection; 5 percent is a much more common
>frequency for the area. Because the bone is so fragmentary, I can only
>assess burning on the basis of colour, and can't really see any other
>changes to the bone structure -- hence my curiosity about mimics.
>
>Any thoughts or references would be appreciated.
>
>Dave
>
>David Maxwell
>Statistical Research, Inc.
>Burnaby, British Columbia
>
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