摘要：Black-coloured animal bones found in radial arrangement possibly forming a fire place in the Vértesszőlős I.
archaeological site were studied to reveal to origin of darkening. Crystallinity index and sizes of crystallites
calculated from X-ray diffraction profiles of bone apatite are higher in the black-coloured parts than in the
yellow-coloured portions of the same bones. Increase in crystallinity supports that burning as a short, but
relatively high temperature heating initiated the recrystallization of bone apatite. Burning, however, might slow
down further alterations in the burnt bones during diagenesis, since the highest crystallinity index was
measured in a non-burnt, white-coloured bone found at the Vértesszőlős site. The black- and yellow-coloured
bone parts have similar chemical composition according to electron microprobe measurements. Staining due to
pyrite, iron or manganese oxides and hydroxides was not detected. The dark colour of bones is therefore due to
elemental carbon oxidized from organic carbon during burning, which indicates at least 300 to 350oC heating
temperature.
关键词：BONE, BURNING, X-RAY DIFFRACTION, CRYSTALLINITY, ELECTRON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
