by Matthew Law

Vivianite (Fe₃(PO₄)₂·8(H₂O)) is a hydrated iron phosphate found in a number of geological environments. In archaeological contexts, it is often noted in nodules or layers within gley soils (Retallack 2001: 90), where microbial action in wet, anaerobic conditions has reduced ferric compounds to ferrous compounds. Vivianite is often white when first excavated, but turns a bright blue when oxidised, for example by exposure to air (Retallack 2001: 46, 47). It is also noted archaeologically as a powder on the surface of buried bones or animal carcasses (the Alaskan steppe bison (Bison priscus) carcass dated to 39 000 BP and known as ‘Blue Babe’ is so named for its covering of vivianite). It can be present where there are large quantities of animal dung  (Lawson et al. 2000, 256).

Forensically, it has been noted on the remains of three American airmen listed as missing in action from Vietnam, who were repatriated after 28 years (Mann et al. 1998: 79), and until recently there were few documented cases in the literature of such rapid formation of vivianite, prompting a claim that it took 15 -20 years to develop on buried human remains (Holland et al. 1997: 266). Vivianite has recently been noted, however, on victims of the Srebrenica massacre after they had been buried for around three years (Wright et al. 2007: 154).

REFERENCES

  Holland, T.D., Anderson, B.E., and Mann, R.W., 1997: ‘Human variables in potmortem alteration of human bone: examples form U.S. war casualties’, in Haglund, .D., and Sorg, M.H. (eds), Forensic Taphonomy (Boca Raton: CRC Press) pp 263-274

Lawson, A.J., Powell, A., and Thomas, D., 2000, 'Discussion', in Lawson, A.J. (Ed): Potterne 1982-5 - Animal Husbandry in Later Prehistoric Wiltshire (Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology)

Mann, R. W., Feather, M. E., Tumosa, C. S., Holland, T. D., and Schneider, K. N., 1998, A blue encrustation found on skeletal remains of Americans missing in action in Vietnam, Forensic Science International, 97, 79–86.

Retallack, Greg John, 2001: Soils of the Past: An Introduction to Paleopedology. Second Edition (Oxford: Blackwell)

Wright, R., Hanson, I., and Sterenberg, J., 2007: ‘The archaeology of mass graves’, in Hunter, J., and Cox, M., Forensic Archaeology: Advances in Theory and Practice (Abingdon: Routledge), pp137-158

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