Determination of the elemental status of ancient human bones from Bockenheim/Rheinland–Pfalz by PIGE and PIXE

Continuing the investigations on ancient human bones of the Merowingian period (6–8th century AD) [St. Jankuhn, T. Butz, R.-H. Flagmeyer, T. Reinert, J. Vogt, J. Hammerl, R. Protsch von Zieten, M. Wolf, H. Baumann, K. Bethge, I. Symietz, in: J.L. Duggan, I.L. Morgan (Eds.), CP392, Appl. of Accelerators in Res. and Ind., AIP, Woodbury, NY, 1997, p. 575], we have prepared a series of 57 samples of bone from the so-called Ward's triangle. This region is an inner part of the femoral neck and one of the areas of high fracture risk in the case of osteoporosis. The bones were excavated from a former cemetery near Bockenheim/Rheinland–Pfalz, Germany. Firstly, the sample preparation method will be described. Secondly, the experimental setup will be outlined for the ion beam methods proton backscattering (PBS), proton induced γ -ray emission (PIGE), and proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) which are implemented simultaneously at the 2 MV Van de Graaff accelerator of the Universität Leipzig. Thirdly, the concentrations of the main and trace elements will be presented in the form of a correlation matrix for the elements detected by PIGE and PIXE. From this, a correlation coefficient matrix is derived whose values will be discussed in detail.