XRM imaging for non-destructive age at death estimation of the incinerated teeth from the Motya Tophet

Martina Trocchi, Luciano Fattore, Flavio Cognigni, Federico Cappella, Marco Rossi, Giorgio Manzi, Lorenzo Nigro

Abstract

The study of odontoskeletal remains of non-adult individuals provides important information on the cultural significance of childhood in past societies. Tophets, distinct burial areas for infant cremated remains found in several Phoenician-Punic colonies in the Mediterranean area, offer an ideal case study to test the potential of alternative analysis approaches on cremated remains. The study presents a non-destructive methodology using X-ray microscopy (XRM) to analyze a sample of cremated deciduous teeth from the Tophet of Motya, providing information on the demographic profile and age classes of the buried individuals. The results are consistent with previous studies on Tophets remains and highlight the importance of using non-invasive analytical techniques to collect new data useful for the interpretation of the burial practices of newborns and infants in Phoenician world.

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IMEKO-MetroArchaeo-2023-003.pdf

DOI

10.21014/tc4-ARC-2023.003

IMEKO TC

TC4 - Measurement of Electrical Quantities

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