Origin of archaeological black bones within a waterlogged context: A multidisciplinary approach

This paper presents the interdisciplinary study on the origin of “black bones” at the Neolithic lakeside settlement of Dispilio, Greece (5500–3500 BCE), where animal bones have been recovered from a waterlogged and organic soil-matrix containing charcoal, ash and burnt cultural remains. In the past, this has been interpreted as the result of the destruction of the village by fire and abandonment. This study aims to examine this theory through the distinction of burnt vs. oxide stained bones.