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Here today, gone tomorrow? The use of experimental and geochemical modelling
strategies in studies of diagenetic change.
Lyn Wilson and Mark Pollard (Bradford University)
The factors which influence the survival or otherwise of archaeological
materials in the burial environment must be understood to allow systematic
interpretation of the archaeological record. Studies of post-depositional
change, or diagenesis, are therefore essential. The dynamic nature of
terrestrial burial environments and the complexity of aqueous fluid-mediated
transformation mechanisms has hindered diagenetic research to date. The
novel use of combined experimental and geochemical modelling strategies
has the potential to make progress towards a quantified understanding
of the diagenesis of inorganic and bioinorganic archaeological materials.
We describe some current work in progress which is attempting to develop
this approach.
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