Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland
Grave fills from seven human burials from a late-Viking age - early medieval cemetery at Hofstaðir, Mývatnssveit (Iceland) were examined by soil micromorphology and organic chemical analysis. Detailed analysis of the weathering of the mineral constituents of the grave fills demonstrates a relationsh...
Published in: | Geoderma |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2017
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/121437/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/121437/1/Revised_Manuscript_Burns_et_al_Post_Print.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.06.021 |
id |
ftleedsuniv:oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:121437 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftleedsuniv:oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:121437 2023-05-15T16:47:36+02:00 Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland Burns, Annika Lynn Pickering, Matt Green, Kimberley Ann Pinder, Adam Phillip Gestsdóttir, Hildur Usai, Maria-Raimonda Brothwell, Don Reginald Keely, Brendan John 2017-11-15 text https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/121437/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/121437/1/Revised_Manuscript_Burns_et_al_Post_Print.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.06.021 en eng https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/121437/1/Revised_Manuscript_Burns_et_al_Post_Print.pdf Burns, Annika Lynn, Pickering, Matt, Green, Kimberley Ann et al. (5 more authors) (2017) Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland. Geoderma. pp. 183-194. ISSN 0016-7061 cc_by_nc_nd CC-BY-NC-ND Article PeerReviewed 2017 ftleedsuniv https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.06.021 2023-01-30T21:58:51Z Grave fills from seven human burials from a late-Viking age - early medieval cemetery at Hofstaðir, Mývatnssveit (Iceland) were examined by soil micromorphology and organic chemical analysis. Detailed analysis of the weathering of the mineral constituents of the grave fills demonstrates a relationship between the extent of weathering of volcanic silicates within the fills and the presence of buried human remains. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) of extracts from the fills and controls of two graves revealed organic signatures dominated by plant-derived organic matter, with no evidence of degradation products of the body tissues. Transformation of n-alkanes into n-alkan-2-ones provides evidence for microbial activity within the fills. GC–MS analysis of the organic extract from under one of the skulls and pyrolysis gas chromatography of wood fragments found in that grave provide compelling evidence for the former presence of a conifer wood coffin. The use of this non-native wood in the burial provides evidence for either the import of foreign lumber or the utilisation of driftwood, most likely originating from Russia/Siberia. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Siberia White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) Hofstaðir ENVELOPE(-21.917,-21.917,64.083,64.083) Geoderma 306 183 194 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) |
op_collection_id |
ftleedsuniv |
language |
English |
description |
Grave fills from seven human burials from a late-Viking age - early medieval cemetery at Hofstaðir, Mývatnssveit (Iceland) were examined by soil micromorphology and organic chemical analysis. Detailed analysis of the weathering of the mineral constituents of the grave fills demonstrates a relationship between the extent of weathering of volcanic silicates within the fills and the presence of buried human remains. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) of extracts from the fills and controls of two graves revealed organic signatures dominated by plant-derived organic matter, with no evidence of degradation products of the body tissues. Transformation of n-alkanes into n-alkan-2-ones provides evidence for microbial activity within the fills. GC–MS analysis of the organic extract from under one of the skulls and pyrolysis gas chromatography of wood fragments found in that grave provide compelling evidence for the former presence of a conifer wood coffin. The use of this non-native wood in the burial provides evidence for either the import of foreign lumber or the utilisation of driftwood, most likely originating from Russia/Siberia. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Burns, Annika Lynn Pickering, Matt Green, Kimberley Ann Pinder, Adam Phillip Gestsdóttir, Hildur Usai, Maria-Raimonda Brothwell, Don Reginald Keely, Brendan John |
spellingShingle |
Burns, Annika Lynn Pickering, Matt Green, Kimberley Ann Pinder, Adam Phillip Gestsdóttir, Hildur Usai, Maria-Raimonda Brothwell, Don Reginald Keely, Brendan John Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland |
author_facet |
Burns, Annika Lynn Pickering, Matt Green, Kimberley Ann Pinder, Adam Phillip Gestsdóttir, Hildur Usai, Maria-Raimonda Brothwell, Don Reginald Keely, Brendan John |
author_sort |
Burns, Annika Lynn |
title |
Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland |
title_short |
Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland |
title_full |
Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland |
title_fullStr |
Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland |
title_sort |
micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-viking age grave fills at hofstaðir, iceland |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/121437/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/121437/1/Revised_Manuscript_Burns_et_al_Post_Print.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.06.021 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-21.917,-21.917,64.083,64.083) |
geographic |
Hofstaðir |
geographic_facet |
Hofstaðir |
genre |
Iceland Siberia |
genre_facet |
Iceland Siberia |
op_relation |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/121437/1/Revised_Manuscript_Burns_et_al_Post_Print.pdf Burns, Annika Lynn, Pickering, Matt, Green, Kimberley Ann et al. (5 more authors) (2017) Micromorphological and chemical investigation of late-Viking age grave fills at Hofstaðir, Iceland. Geoderma. pp. 183-194. ISSN 0016-7061 |
op_rights |
cc_by_nc_nd |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC-ND |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.06.021 |
container_title |
Geoderma |
container_volume |
306 |
container_start_page |
183 |
op_container_end_page |
194 |
_version_ |
1766037683172278272 |