6 LEHIGH UNIVERSITY | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES IN SZÉKELYFÖLD, an ethnically Hungarian region of Romania that once fought for its existence during a period of dictatorship, people are still trying to learn more about the way their ancestors were buried, according to Armando Anzellini. Three different burial methods were used in the community’s Romanian graveyard, but there is no information as to why. Anzellini, a bioarchaeologist, forensic anthropologist and assistant professor of anthropology, has been invited by research colleagues to assist in analyzing remains from the burial site, using isotope ratio analysis, to determine if there is a social or temporal reason for the differences. Anzellini is also studying the biomechanics of bone— how bone reacts to activity by doing three-dimensional models of the bone. It’s possible the research, in conjunction with research others have done, can one day prevent or treat bone-related ailments. And he just completed a project using Raman spectroscopy, which uses a low-powered laser, and the wavelength of light scattered to determine molecular structure. With isotope ratio analysis and the Romanian remains, Anzellini uses various chemicals, depending on his end goal, on either bone or teeth that are broken into tiny pieces. To study collagen, the organic part of bones, Anzellini uses hydrochloric acid to eat away at the mineral of bone, leaving just collagen behind. To study the mineral, he uses a concentrated version of hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite bleach to rid the sample of the organic material. Anzellini’s lab preps the specimens, separating the components so they’re completely cleaned and ready to be analyzed by another lab, which vaporizes and ionizes the materials before accelerating them through a magnet on a curve. During this process, the heavier isotopes have more momentum and don’t curve as much as the lighter isotopes, which allows the lab to determine the number of heavier elements versus lighter elements. Once the isotope ratios for each element have been determined, Anzellini says they can determine what type of diet people had through carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. He can then compare it to other archaeological data to determine the social structure and possibly provide insight into the different burial methods. The other of Anzellini’s projects involves biomechanics. Bone reacts to the pressures and activities a person partakes in, and the bone can completely change shape based on the activity. Sometimes there are significant differences in the shape of the tibia of someone who regularly runs versus someone who regularly swims, he says. He uses CT scans from individuals starting in their 20s, through others in their 90s, to run simulations and see if the distribution of the stresses on the bones changes as they get older and the bone shape changes. While the goal, he says, is trying to better understand the patterns of bone health in aging, this research could one day have potential health benefits for people as they age, or allow doctors options for treatment for, or prevention of, bone related ailments, when applied with other completed research. ■ Bone Research Studies Romanian Social Structure, Health in Aging Bioarchaeologist Armando Anzellini uses Raman spectroscopy and isotope ratio analysis to study human remains. SPOT LIGHT Christa Neu
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