What does lime tell us about cadaveric remains?

ABSTRACT

Lime is commonly used in human burials, but its effects on bodies are not clear at all. Different short-time experimental studies concluded that lime does not inhibit the decomposition of bodies. To provide the long-term effects of lime on bodies, this work presents the results of six burials of pig carcasses completely or partially covered with lime during 5 to 5 years. These experiments were carried out in the experimental facilities of Taphos-m project. After that period of time, all pig carcasses were completely or partially skeletonised, and the Bradford score values were about 90% (active decomposition). Lime casts were observed, surrounding and covering some pig cadaveric remains. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed preservation of lime remains on bones in the cases when no lime casts were observed in the burial. Also, persistence of unexpected anatomical position (bone spatial distribution) by lime could be observed. The cortical surface of the bones was flaked and cracked, related to dryness in a permanent alkaline environment produced by lime inside burials.

KEYWORDS:

• Lime burials
• alkaline environment
• experimental taphonomy
• bone cracking

Acknowledgments

AG thanks Sara García-Morato for her contributions to the study. We are grateful to the technicians of the Laboratory of Non-Destructive Techniques of the MNCN, Laura Tormo and Marta Furió, for their professional work and helpful advice.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The investigation about the bone surface modifications was supported by Next Generation EU under Margarita Salas Grant (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC). Taphos-m project has the support of the Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca, Alimentació i Medi Natural of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the research group Grup de Recerques de les Terres de Ponent, the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs in Catalonia (Spain) and the AGAUR of Generalitat de Catalunya [2017-SRG-1630].