With Tomography we can See More than a Lump of Sediment

Neutron radiography, neutron tomography, synchrotron tomography, and phase contrast micro-CT are well-established techniques in cultural heritage studies. These imaging modalities have significantly transformed the examination and analysis of morphology, with museums increasingly integrating them for various purposes, including digital documentation and analytical strategies. MicroCT's capability to capture diagnostic features has been employed to examine a lump of sediment adhering to the skull of a burial from the Upper Palaeolithic cave of S. Maria d’Agnano (Ostuni, Brindisi). TomoLab scans provided access to valuable information embedded within the sediment of a burial dating back approximately 30,000 years. The tomography revealed remains trapped within the archaeological sediment that would have otherwise remained undetected, while ensuring they remained untouched and uncontaminated. The scans identified a perforated shell, likely part of the skull cap that covered the Lady of Ostuni. This unexpected occurrence originates a further research design that involved environmental DNA metabarcoding (on-going). Computed tomography enables the creation of digital storytelling, bringing new life to a "forgotten" museum collection through analytical techniques. The work briefly described above holds significant value for museum collections and, more broadly, for the vast informational potential of stored records. It paves the way for molecular analyses that can further investigate into past human behaviors and funerary practices. Since molecular studies are invasive, microCT scanning offers a non-destructive alternative by creating virtual models, preserving the original artifacts for future generations while providing high-resolution 3D data for research and analysis. This technique enables the creation of virtual, untouched specimens that facilitate the preservation, sharing, and study of objects, whether or not they hold aesthetic, historical, scientific, or social significance within cultural heritage.