Glossary

Control sample A sample collected from an area that is not likely to be influenced by the phenomenon under study which is used to compare analytical results with those from areas that are likely to have been impacted by the phenomenon under study. dental calculus Hardened plaque on the teeth which is formed by saliva, food debris, and minerals. dental plaque An adherent substance made of mucus, food particles, and bacteria.

Edaphic Resulting from, or influenced by, the soil. pelvic girdle The bony ring supporting the lower limbs in humans composed of the two hip bones laterally and in front, and the sacrum and coccyx behind. pollen aggregates Clumps of pollen composed of many grains of the same type. These signal economic use of buds, flowers, anthers, or sometimes seeds or fruits. pollen concentration A method for calculating the number of pollen grains present per milliliter or gram of sediment based on adding known numbers of exotic pollen grains or spores to a sediment sample.

Sacrum A triangular bone made up of five fused vertebrae and forming the posterior section of the pelvic girdle. stratigraphic column In burial analysis, a stratigraphic column refers to the layers within the pelvic girdle that range from burial fill to intestinal remains. As a corpse decomposes, sediment from the burial fill enters the pelvic girdle from above and compresses the intestinal contents to the lowest part of the pelvic girdle, the sacrum. The uppermost sample from the highest part of the pelvic girdle is composed of burial fill. The middle of the pelvic girdle might contain some food remains. The lowest level is very likely to contain dietary residue from food.