Archaeological Hair in Paleobiological Research
TLDR Ancient South American mummies' hair shows high sulfur, calcium, and potassium levels.
The research aimed to define biological characteristics of ancient populations using hair samples from South American mummies at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Turin University. The study utilized light microscopy, "tricocicloforo" measurements, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to analyze the hair. SEM was particularly useful for morphological observation and chemical determinations, revealing high amounts of sulfur, calcium, and potassium in the samples. The study highlighted the importance of SEM in anthropological research and suggested that future analyses with carbon-coated samples could provide more precise information.
