3D visualization of bioerosion in archaeological bone

Palaeoradiology is increasingly being used in archaeological and forensic sciences as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional histological methods for investigating bone microanatomy its destruction by diagenetic processes. To better understand ancient mortuary practices, taphonomic studies using microCT scanning are gaining an ever more important role. Recently it was demonstrated that 2D virtual sections obtained of intact samples comparable physical the rating diagnosis bioerosion bone. Importantly, volume image data from tomographic also allow rendering analysis 3D models. Building on these we provide (1) detailed descriptions renderings, sections, micrographs, (2) accessible techniques visualization skeletal samples. The dataset based twenty-eight cortical samples, including twenty femora (of which five cremated), two ribs, parietals, one mandibular ramus, humerus, faunal long bones sites Lower Austria dating Early Neolithic Late Iron Age. Notably, reduce need time-consuming segmentation sequentially applying noise-reducing, edge-preserving filters, image-display transfer function visualizes bioerosion, well Haversian Volkmann canal structure density 3D. In doing so able visualize invasion canals microbiota, has previously only been reported sections. Unlike conventional thin images shown here easy create interpret, even archaeologists inexperienced histology, readily facilitate illustration communication microtaphonomic effects. • Image reduced filters colormap renderings interpret histology. micro-taphonomic