The impact of shallow burial on differential decomposition to the body: a temperate case study.
Extant literature contains a number of specific case studies on differential decomposition involving adipocere formation or desiccation, but few describe the co-occurrence of these features within a temperate climate. The case of a 65-year-old male, partially buried in a shallow grave for 7 months, is presented in which the soft tissues of the body were outwardly well preserved. The right leg was desiccated, some parts of the body were covered with adipocere (head, neck, right shoulder, upper torso and left leg) and other parts could be classified as in the early stages of decomposition. In this study the taphonomic variables resulting in differential decomposition with desiccation and adipocere formation are discussed.
Schotsmans
Eline M J
EM
Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, School of Life Sciences, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, United Kingdom. E.M.J.Schotsmans@bradford.ac.uk
Van de Voorde
Wim
W
De Winne
Joan
J
Wilson
Andrew S
AS
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D002048:Burial; D004175:Diptera; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D014887:Weather
D012987:Soil