Analysis of human teeth and bones from the chalcolithic period by X-ray spectrometry

Synchrotron microprobe and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS) were used to analyse several teeth and pieces of bone, respectively, originating from subjects of the chalcolithic period. A synchrotron microprobe with 100 mu m resolution and monochromatic photons of 18 keV were used to scan teeth from the root to the enamel. Bones were analysed by XRFS for their amount of trace elements, using a spectrometer based on a three-axial geometry and an incident beam of 17.4 keV. The detected elements for both analytical procedures were P, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pr, Sr and Pb. The results show high concentrations of Mn, Fe and Cu for different tooth regions when compared with data from contemporary subjects. Moreover, the high levels of Br and Sr can be associated with environment influence and dietary habits rich in protein, especially seafood. It is remarkable that lead is always of the order of magnitude of the detection limit, which is 1-2 mu g/g in all analysed teeth. Furthermore, the microprobe analysis of these samples showed that the highest concentration of the heavy metals increases from the outer enamel to the inner dentine root. For the analysed bone samples of women and men, the most important aspects concerning the elemental concentrations are the high levels of Mn and Br and the low concentrations of Pb, as found for teeth. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.