Developing of a method for absolute dating of archaeological bone tissue using Raman spectroscopy
Dmitrii V. Abramov1, Oleg V. Danilov2, Viktoriya A. Bykova2, Kristina M. Stankevich1, Kirill S. Khorkov1, Anton S. Chernikov1, Anastasiya N. Tselikova1; 1Vladimir State University, Vladimir, Russia; 2State Center for the Conservation, Use and Restoration of Cultural Objects and Cultural Heritage, Vladimir, Russia
Abstract
Raman method of absolute dating of archaeological bone tissue was adapted to finds from excavations of the cultural layer of the cities of the Vladimir-Suzdal land. The developed approach to implementing this method was tested on a medieval sample with a precisely known historical age. The sample was a rib from the skeleton of a resident of Vladimir who was killed during the destruction of the city by Mongol troops in 1238. The test results showed dating accuracy comparable to data obtained using traditional methods. Improving the accuracy of the developing dating method requires increasing the sample size of bone finds analyzed. This was accomplished with using the material that was collected during the current field season's archaeological excavations in Vladimir. The research was also extended to the enamel and dentin of animal teeth. These tissues are characterized by a lower level of background photoluminescence, which made it possible to use the Raman mapping approach. A separate area of research has become the study of the possibilities of the developing method of absolute dating for the attribution of individual bone finds. This is important for artifacts whose form and other typological features do not change over a long period of time. A telling example of such objects are bone combs, the Raman characteristics of which are discussed in this report.
Speaker
Dmtrii V. Abramov
Vladimir State University
Russia
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