The application of histomorphometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to the analysis of early Anglo-Saxon burned bone

Macroscopic examination, histomorphometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) are applied to the analysis of burned bones from the early Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Elsham in Lincolnshire, UK. These methods were undertaken to gain a greater understanding of pyre conditions from an archaeological context and the effects of burning on bone microstructure. Sixteen samples were employed for thin-section analysis while eight samples were used with FTIR. The results suggest that these methods correspond well with macroscopic examination, though anomalies did occur. The techniques employed in this paper have demonstrated that the temperatures reached on the funerary pyres at Elsham ranged from 600 °C to over 900 °C under oxidizing conditions.

► We apply thin-section and FTIR analysis to Anglo-Saxon burned bone.
► We examine the effects of burning on bone through macroscopic observation, histomorphometry and FTIR spectroscopy.
► Macroscopic examination produce a general idea of temperature, the more technical methods employed in this study offer a more precise temperature range.
► The temperature of Anglo-Saxon funerary pyres ranged from 600 °C to over 900 °C.
► The differential cremation between upper and lower limbs was statistically significant at the 0.05 level.