Abstract

Pb concentrations in human bone and tooth samples from a 11th century mining community were analysed to study the infuence of long-term burial in polluted soils. PIXE and RBS analysis with 20±300 lm proton beams and 300 lm 4He+ beams at the University of Freiburg Van de Graa� laboratory and less than 5 lm at the University of Melbourne Microanalytical Research Centre was performed and strongly increased Pb levels at outer and inner bone and tooth surfaces were found, reaching more than 1000 ppm in some of the bone samples, and decreasing to equilibrium levels in the order of 5±10 ppm in some non-porous inner sections of the analysed bones and teeth.