J 2017

The Application of Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) in Ancient Dental Calculus for the Reconstruction of Human Habits

FIALOVÁ, Dana, Radim SKOUPÝ, Eva DROZDOVÁ, Aleš PATÁK, Jakub PIŇOS et. al.

Basic information

Original name

The Application of Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) in Ancient Dental Calculus for the Reconstruction of Human Habits

Authors

FIALOVÁ, Dana (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Radim SKOUPÝ (203 Czech Republic), Eva DROZDOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Aleš PATÁK (203 Czech Republic), Jakub PIŇOS (203 Czech Republic), Lukáš ŠÍN (203 Czech Republic), Radoslav BEŇUŠ (703 Slovakia) and Bohuslav KLÍMA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Microscopy and Microanalysis, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2017, 1431-9276

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10700 1.7 Other natural sciences

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.124

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/17:00098960

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

UT WoS

000419002200016

Keywords in English

ancient dental calculus; SEM-EDX; human habits; the Great Moravian Empire; Napoleonic Wars

Tags

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 13/4/2018 16:26, doc. PhDr. Bohuslav Klíma, CSc.

Abstract

V originále

The great potential of scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) is in detection of unusual chemical elements included in ancient human dental calculus to verify hypotheses about life and burial habits of historic populations and individuals. Elemental spectra were performed from archeological samples of three chosen individuals from different time periods. The unusual presence of magnesium, aluminum, and silicon in the first sample could confirmthe hypothesis of high degree of dental abrasion caused by particles from grinding stones in flour. In the second sample, presence of copper could confirm that bronze jewelery could lie near the buried body. The elemental composition of the third sample with the presence of lead and copper confirms the origin of individual to Napoleonic Wars because the damage to his teeth could be explained by the systematic utilization of the teeth for the opening of paper cartridges (a charge with a dose of gunpowder and a bullet), which were used during the 18th and the 19th century AD. All these results contribute to the reconstruction of life (first and third individual) and burial (second individual) habits of historic populations and individuals.