General Taphonomy and Diagenesis of a Submerged Pleistocene Skeleton from the Cenote of Hoyo Negro, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico: Preliminary Results

Summary

This paper examines the macroscopic taphonomy and the diagenesis of a partially lifted preceramic skeleton of a female juvenile (called "Naia"), dated approximately between 13,000 and 12,000 yrs. AP. Naia was recovered at 41 meters below sea level in a submerged karstic cave. Despite the good general preservation of Naia’s remains, the bone segments are brittle, showing changes attributable to time, weathering, changing salinity and micro-organisms. The external bone layer is only loosely attached to the subjacent bony core. Our present research aims to understand the fluctuating postmortem conditions of Naia, to prospect the analytical possibilities for conducting molecular research, and assisting mid and long term stabilization measures of the dental and bony remains. The study combines macroscopic taphonomy with X-Ray Diffraction Raman Spectroscopy, SEM, histology of undecalcified bone, and ICP analyses of associated water and sediments. Our results show diagenetic substitution of the inorganic substrate with exogenous calcareous minerals and moderate preservation of histological structure. This study was financed by theSubdirección de Arqueología Subacuática of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, CONACYT-152105 (2012-2015), the Laboratorio Nacional de Nano y Biotecnología (FOMIX LAB-108160, CONACyT-123913).

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• The Hoyo Negro Project: Recent Investigations of a Submerged Paleoamerican Cave Site in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Keywords

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