What's hidden for X-Ray? A study of archaeological plant material (Póster)

CALO, CRISTINA MARILIN; RIZZUTTO, MARCIA A.; DIAS, CARLOS S. B.; CARMELLO-GUERREIRO, SANDRA M.; NEVES, EDUARDO G.

Ljubljana

Conferencia; European Conference on X-Ray Spectrometry; 2018

Institute Jozef Stefan

X-Ray MicroCT analyses are an ever growing and  appropriate technique to study pieces ofhistorical, artistic and cultural value [1], due to the non-destructive characteristic of the technique. Archaeological plantremains have a biological origin and a low-contrast for typical x-rayAbsorption-Contrast imaging [2][3]. However, synchrotron-based Microtomography,using X-Ray Phase-Contrast, is an alternative way to enhance contrast ofbiological samples [1][2] that is, as for today, still scarcely tested forancient non-fossil plants.With in this context, archaeobotanical samplesrecovered at Monte Castelo archaeological site (RO, Brazil) [4] were studiedand imaged, revealing evidences on the similarities and differences ofmorpho-anatomical data obtained by mean of X-Ray Phase-Contrast MicroCT andHigh Resolution Light Microscopy techniques. Comparative analysis took intoaccount morphometric and morphological description of plant organs, tissues,cells, cell walls, vascular bundles and crystals. Most of them were observedand measured by both techniques. The figure below exemplifies how thick walledcells and vascular bundles (V) are visualized in X-Ray and Light Microscopeimages.High detailed histological information is obtainedfrom Light Microscopy, but current preparation procedures irreversibly damagethe samples. Likewise, microtomed slices preserved single-plane information andinhibit the study of other dimensional planes. By opposite, X-Ray virtualslicing of microtomograms compensate these disadvantages of the histologicalslices. It provide 3D models which could be digital handled, analyzed andreproduced, preserving archaeological plant evidences in a completenon-destructive way.[1] L. Mancini, G. Tromba, F.Zanini, Journal of Neutron Research, 14(1), 2006, 75-79.[2] D. Rousseau, T. Widiez, S. Di Tommaso, H. Rositi,J. Adrien, E. Maire, M. Langer, C. Olivier, F. Peyrin, P. Rogowsky, PlantMethods, 11, 2015, 55.[3] Y.M. Staedler, D. Masson,J. Schönenberger, PLoS ONE, 8(9), 2013, e75295.