摘要：Bony substances of old ages have been more or less influenced by the environment in whicn they were placed. In Japan they are mostly unearthed from shellmounds, where, howevere, they are not necessarily found in satisfactory state of preservation.The following chemical analyses were made with human and beast bones in various states excavated from several shellmounds and old graves in Japan: the specific gravity, the content of organic matter, the ratio of CaO to P2O5 and Iodine number of bone fat.The results of experiments indicated a remarkable difference in their measured values from those of recent bones. But no correlation was seen between these values and their states of preservation or their ages. And it was assumed that the environmental influences in the ground are considerably complex.
