Adipocere withstands 1600 years of fluctuating groundwater levels in soil

Journal of Archaeological Science

Volumn 36, Issue 7, 2009, Pages 1328-1333

  Fiedler, S ^a   Buegger, F ^b   Klaubert, B ^c   Zipp, K ^d   Dohrmann, R ^e   Witteyer, M ^d   Zarei, M ^a   Graw, M ^f  

^a UNIVERSITY OF HOHENHEIM   (Germany)

^b INSTITUTE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY   (Germany)

^c Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Munchen   (Germany)

^d Rhineland Palatinate State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments   (Germany)

^e Lower Saxony State Office for Soil Science   (Germany)

^f UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH   (Germany)

Author keywords

Adipocere; Burial; Degradation of fatty acids; Grave wax; Wet preservation; 13C

Indexed keywords

ANOXIC CONDITIONS; ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE; ARTIFACT; BIODEGRADATION; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; CHILD; FATTY ACID; PRESERVATION; SKELETAL REMAINS; WAX;

CENTRAL EUROPE; EURASIA; EUROPE; GERMANY; MAINZ; RHINELAND-PALATINATE;

NEPTUNIA;

EID: 67349103383     PISSN: 03054403     EISSN: 10959238     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2009.01.017     Document Type: Article

References (40)

1. Bereuter T., Mikenda W., and Reiter C.H. Iceman's mummification - implications from infrared spectroscopical and histological studies. Chemistry - A European Journal 7 (1997) 1032-1038
2. Bereuter T. Available from (2002). http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2001/icemanmummy.shtml (accessed August 26, 2008)
3. Cotton G.E., Aufderheide A.C., and Goldschmidt V.G. Preservation of human tissue immersed for five years in fresh water of known temperature. Journal of Forensic Sciences 4 (1987) 1125-1130
4. Cüppers H. Kindergräber aus St. Matthias. Kurtriersches Jahrbuch 13 (1973) 178-182
5. Dix J., and Graham M. Time of Death, Decomposition and Identification: an Atlas (2000), CRC Press, Florida
6. Doran G.H., Dickel D.N., Ballinger Jr. W.E., Agee O.F., Laipis P.J., and Hauswirth W.W. Nature, 1986 anatomical, cellular and molecular analysis of 8,000-yr-old human brain tissue from the windover archaeological site. Nature 323 (1986) 803-806
7. Döring, G., 1973. Die chemischen Veränderungen des Leichenlipids, PhD thesis, Göttingen.
8. EN ISO 15304-2002. Animal and vegetable fats and oils - determination of the content of trans fatty acid isomers of vegetable fats and oils - Gas chromatographic method.
9. EN ISO 5509-2000. Animal and vegetable fats and oils - preparation of methyl esters of fatty acids.
10. Evans W.E. Some histological findings in spontaneously preserved bodies. Medicine Science and the Law 2 (1962) 145-164
11. Evershed P.R., and Connolly R.C. Lipid preservation in Lindow Man. Naturwissenschaften 75 (1988) 143-145
12. Fiedler S., and Graw M. Decomposition of buried corpses with special reference to the formation of adipocere. Naturwissenschaften 90 (2003) 291-300
13. Forbes S.L., Stuart B.H., and Dent B.B. The identification of adipocere in grave soils. Forensic Science International 127 (2002) 225-230
14. Forbes S.L., Dent B.B., and Stuart B.H. The effect of soil type on adipocere formation. Forensic Science International 154 (2005) 35-43
15. Fourcroy A. Mémoirs sur les différents états des cadavers trouvés 1786 et 1787 (1789), lus à l'academie des sciences, Paris
16. Froentjes W. Kurzer Bericht über die unvollständige Leichenzersetzung auf Friedhöfen und die Adipocirebildung. Deutsche Zeitschrift für Gerichtliche Medizin 56 (1965) 205-207
17. Gill-King H. Chemical and ultrastructural aspects of decomposition. In: Haglund W.D., and Sorg M.H. (Eds). Forensic Taphonomy (1997), CRC Press 93-108
18. Gotouda H., Takaton T., Terazawa K., Nagoa M., and Tarao H. The mechanism of experimental adipocere formation: hydration and dehydrogenation in microbial synthesis of hydroxy and oxo fatty acids. Forensic Science International 37 (1988) 249-257
19. Harcken, W., 1952. Fettwachs und Fettwachsbildung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des pH-Wertes, PhD thesis, University of Göttingen, Göttingen.
20. Janaway R.C. The preservation of organic materials in association with metal artefacts deposited in inhumation graves. In: Boddington A., Garland A.N., and Janaway R.C. (Eds). Death, Decay and Reconstruction: Approaches to Archaeology and Forensic Science (1987), Manchester University Press, Manchester 127-141
21. Kahana T., Almon J., Levy J., Shmeltzer E., Spier Y., and Hiss J. Marine taphonomy: adipocere formation in a series of bodies recovered from a single shipwreck. Journal of Forensic Sciences 44 (1999) 897-901
22. Keeley H.C.M., Hudsin G.E., and Evans J. Trace element contents of human bones in various states of preservation. 1. The soil silhouette. Journal of Archaeological Science 4 (1977) 19-24
23. Makristathis A., Schwarzmeier J., Mader R.M., Varmuza K., Simonitsch I., Chavez J.C., Platzer W., Unterdorfer H., Scheithauer R., Derevianko A., and Seidler H. Fatty acid composition and preservation of the Tyrolean iceman and other mummies. Journal of Lipid Research 43 (2002) 2056-2061
24. Mant A.K. Knowledge acquired from post-war exhumations. Manchester. In: Boddington A., Garland A.N., and Janaway R.C. (Eds). Death, Decay and Reconstruction: Approaches to Archaeology and Forensic Science (1987) 65-78
25. Mellen P.F.M., Lowry M.A., and Micozzi M.S. Experimental observation on adipocere formation. Journal of Forensic Sciences (1993) 91-93
26. Micozzi M.S. Postmortem Change in Human and Animal Remains (1991), Charles C. Thomas, Springfield
27. Morgan E.D., Tutus L., Small R.J., and Edwards C. The composition of fatty materials from a Thule Eskimo site on Herschel Island. Arctic 36 (1983) 356-366
28. Murphy W.A., zur Nedden D., Gostner P., Knapp R., Recheis W., and Seidler H. The iceman: discovery and imaging. Radiology 226 (2003) 614-629
29. O'Brian T.G., and Kuehner A.C. Waxing grave about adipocere: soft tissue change in an aquatic context. Journal of Forensic Sciences 52 (2007) 294-301
30. Rothschild M.A., Schmidt V., and Pedal I. Leichenlipid: unterschiedliche Entstehungsarten erschweren zusätzlich die Abschätzung der Leichenliegezeit. Archiv für Kriminologie 197 5-6 (1996) 165-174
31. Ruttan R.F., and Marshall M.J. The composition of adipocere. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 39 (1917) 319-327
32. Sticht G., Ramme H., and Dotzauer G. Morphologische und toxikologische Befunde nach 17jähriger Liegezeit einer Leiche. Beiträge für gerichtliche Medizin 39 (1981) 177-183
33. Stojanowski C.M., Seidemann R.M., and Doran G.H. Differential skeletal preservation at Windover Pond: causes and consequences. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 119 (2002) 15-26
34. Strassmann G., and Fantl D. Untersuchungen an einer Fettwachsleiche. Deutsche Zeitschrift für gesamte Gerichtliche Medizin 6 (1926) 168-174
35. Vass A.A. Beyond the grave - understanding human decomposition. Microbiology Today 28 (1992) 190-192
36. Werner R.A., and Brand W.A. Referencing strategies and techniques in stable isotope ratio analysis. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 15 (2001) 501-519
37. White E., and Hannus L. Chemical weathering of bone in archaeological soils. American Antiquity 48 (1983) 316-322
38. Wieners, F., 1938. Ansichten über die Fettwachsbildung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der modernen Anschauungen, PhD thesis, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster.
39. Witteyer M. Dimesser Ort - Hafen oder trockengelegtes Baugebiet?. In: Martin-Kilcher S., and Witteyer M. (Eds). Fischsaucenhandel und Rheinufertopographie in Mogontiacum - Zu einer Gruppe südspanischer Amphoren mit Tituli picti und ihrer Fundlage im topographischen Kontext. Mainzer Archäologische Zeitschrift 5/6 (2005) 87-93
40. Zipp K. Eine spätrömische Sarkophagbestattung im Spiegel der Anthropologie. Archäologie in Rheinland-Pfalz 2002 (2003) 112-114 Mainz