Table 1.

Summary of diagenetic checks and available, previously utilized methods for different archaeological materials

Sample type	Common checks	Other methods
Bone collagen	%C, %N, C:N atomic ratio, % collagen yield	FTIR – Bone collagen content Raman spectroscopy – Bone collagen content GC/MS – Amino acid profiling
Dentine collagen	%C, %N, C:N atomic ratio, % collagen yield
Collagen amino acids	GC‐FID or GC/MS to assess impurities and compare amino acid profiles to modern reference samples of the same taxa
Fatty acids	GC and GC/MS to assess sample quality and lipid yield
Crop remains	%C, %N, C:N atomic ratio	FTIR – check for the presence of carbonates and humic acids
Tooth enamel bioapatite	%CO3, expected δ13C range according to species and region (e.g. grazers vs non‐grazers)	FTIR – check for calcite, changes in crystallinity parameters (API, BPI, IRSF, BAI) Microscopic luminescence – transferal of metallic elements across material boundaries Measurement of trace elements– bulk values or section profiles
Bone bioapatite	%CO3, δ13C pattern between grazers and non‐grazers	FTIR – check for calcite, changes in crystallinity parameters (API, BPI, IRSF, BAI) Microscopic luminescence – transferal of metallic elements across material boundaries Measurement of trace elements – bulk values or section profiles
Terrestrial snail shell	%CO3	Light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and FTIR – check for conversion from aragonite to calcite and presence of secondary calcite.
Marine shell	%CO3	Light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and FTIR – check for conversion from aragonite into calcite and presence of secondary calcite.