Attempt on accurate radiocarbon dating of carbonate hydroxyapatite in a cremated bone

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560144
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cultural assets study and museology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Masayo Minami 名古屋大学, 宇宙地球環境研究所, 准教授 (90324392)
• Research Collaborator: MUKUMOTO Hikari
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 火葬骨 / 炭素14年代 / 炭酸ヒドロキシアパタイト / XRDパターン / FTIRスペクトル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not inorganic carbonate hydroxyapatite (CHa) in a cremated bone, which remains little organic collagen, can provide accurate radiocarbon (C14) dates. The obtained results are as follows: 1) The cremated bone suffering from heat at the high temperature more than 750°C have high crystalline of apatite and are not easily contaminated by exogenous contaminants during burial, 2) Sample treatment of a cremated bone with 0.1 mol/L acetic acid for 1 h under vacuum can remove secondary carbonate and foreign carbon effectively to extract innate carbon in the bone CHa, and 3) The CHa in cremated bone with high crystalline of apatite is useful for accurate C14 dating.

Free Research Field

同位体地球化学