-
Asked by Sam to Hummy, Lewis, James, Sandra on 13 Mar 2017.
-
Lewis Wright answered on 13 Mar 2017:
Im not 100% sure, as the bones we find have been buried in mud for a long time, and they are difficult to clean completely without damaging them.
As for how long do they last, it all depends on the where they are! If theyre in a warm dry place like a dessert, they can last for thousands of years. If they are in an acidic soil, then bacteria can get in and break it down.
I cant give a firm number unfortunately!
-
-
anon answered on 15 Mar 2017:
What Lewis said with just a little more to add! Besides the soil composition the age of the bones matter too. For instance bones of very young individual or very old, do not last very long when buried in any form of soil. This is due to lack in their core build for young and osteoporosis in the elderly.
Another thing that may also affect the preservation or decay of bones is the vegetational richness of the soil. If you bury a body near a very fertile soil where there’s likely to be forest or garden or simply wild growing plants, within months of burial your bones will be gone! Broken down by environment and soil, eaten away by certain insects and bacteria. The bone residue is very rich fertiliser for wet and damp lands. So don’t expect the soil to preseve it! Bury the same bone in desert and you will probably recover it in the same condition even after years.
As far as whiteness of the bones is concerned, that’s gone fairly quickly once the flesh over the bone is digested by insects, bacterias and other parasites following death. This is due to the chemical reactions getting accelerated in presence of gases present in the atmosphere which are otherwise never going to be coming into contact with the bare bones.
Comments