What was the floor made of?
Debbie
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 27, 2016, at 12:10 PM, Elizabeth Arnold <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> The context is a whole donkey burial - fully articulated and complete skeleton from our site, a domestic, urban neighbourhood, in the foothills of Israel. The skeleton is deposited under the floor of a house.
>
> We initially thought that it was a phytolith concentration mashed between the upper and lower teeth of the donkey. But analysis with a handheld xrf came back with not phytoliths but rather gypsum.
>
> The donkey deposit is well above the water table.
>
> Because it was a deliberate burial, we are wondering on the question of man-made, any suggestions as to why anything made of gypsum would be placed here are welcome!
>
> Alternatively, post-depositional but have no ideas as to what that would cause such a deposit between the teeth and not elsewhere around the skeleton.
>
> We welcome thoughts and suggestions . . . many thanks for comments thus far.
>
> Best,
> liz
>
>
>
> Elizabeth R. Arnold, PhD
> Associate Professor
> Department of Anthropology
> 225 Lake Michigan Hall
> Grand Valley State University
> Allendale, MI 49401
> U.S.A.
> Office: (616) 331 8936
> Fax: (616) 331 2328
>
> www.gvsu.edu/anthropology/
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cosmopoulos, Deborah
> Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2016 1:50 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Gypsum deposits on teeth
>
> Hi Elizabeth, how do you know it's gypsum and not ground water concretions? If it was manmade, could it have been architectural? What is the context please?
> Debbie
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On Jul 27, 2016, at 5:20 AM, Frank Dirrigl <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> Rich, maybe Elizabeth could do a hardness scratch test, but gypsum 2 and calcite 3 might be to close.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Jul 26, 2016, at 9:01 PM, Richard Wright <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>> Elizabeth
>>>
>>> This is an interesting request for ideas.
>>>
>>> Are the upper and lower jaws cemented together by the gypsum?
>>> Naturally, that condition would have to be post-depositional
>>>
>>> Or is it the case that gypsum is cemented to the separated occlusal surfaces of upper and lower teeth?
>>>
>>> In the case of humans, I have seen examples of calculus on the occlusal surface of teeth that have lost the antagonist teeth in the opposing jaw. But calculus does not contain gypsum - so far as I know.
>>>
>>> I would be interested to learn something about the context of recovery. In my experience gypsum only survives in arid soils, where it often derives from aeolian processes blown off dried up and gypsiferous lake bed deposits.
>>>
>>> Gypsum dissolves fairly rapidly where there is rainwater percolating down the soil profile. On the other hand calcium phosphate is the main mineral component of calculus. Calcium phosphate is, of course, resistant to being dissolved by percolating rainwater - even when the rainwater contains dissolved, acidic carbon dioxide.
>>>
>>> So are you sure that the deposit on the animal teeth is gypsum and not calculus?
>>>
>>> Richard
>>>
>>> -------- Original Message ----------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hello all. I wonder if anyone has even come across gypsum deposits
>>> on domestic animal teeth? Sandwiched between upper and lower teeth on
>>> a complete skull.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Our current assumption is that this is a post-depositional issue
>>> but given the context of recovery, we are wondering about alternative
>>> explanations.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Any thoughts and ideas are welcome
>>>
>>> Thank you!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Elizabeth R. Arnold, PhD
>>>
>>> Associate Professor
>>> Department of Anthropology
>>> 225 Lake Michigan Hall
>>> Grand Valley State University
>>> Allendale, MI 49401
>>> U.S.A.
>>> Office: (616) 331 8936 [1]
>>> Fax: (616) 331 2328 [2]
>>>
>>> www.gvsu.edu/anthropology/ [3]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Links:
>>> ------
>>> [1] http://webmail.iinet.net.au/tel:%28616%29%20331%208936
>>> [2] http://webmail.iinet.net.au/tel:%28616%29%20331%202328
>>> [3] http://www.gvsu.edu/anthropology/
>>>
|