Alicona 3D characterization of cut marks on human bones from the Early Holocene secondary burials of Lapa do Santo (Matozinhos, MG)

• Grant number: 25/25516-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: May 01, 2026
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Archeology - Prehistoric Archaeology
• Principal Investigator: André Menezes Strauss
• Grantee: Victor Nery Canadas Pedroso
• Supervisor: Silvia Maria Bello
• Host Institution: Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Natural History Museum, London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/00822-8 - Funerary taphonomy of the forangers peoples in the Lagoa Santa karst: new hypotheses about the burial patterns of Lapa do Santo (Matozinhos/MG) during the Early Holocene, BP.MS

Abstract

Cut marks are tool incisions on bones produced during butchery and have been taphonomically characterized since the 19th century. In the 20th century, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was the primary method used to qualitatively differentiate cut marks from other periosteal alterations. Over the last two decades, the use of the Alicona 3D Infinite Focus Imaging (Alicona 3D) microscope has been developed to quantitatively characterize cut marks. This approach has been particularly developed at the Natural History Museum in London (NHM), United Kingdom (UK). Compared to KH-7700 digital microscopy and photogrammetry, also used in cut mark taphonomy, Alicona 3D provides higher-resolution and true-colour rendering of the scanned surface. This methodology has enabled the study of butchered remains, as well as in-depth investigations of human cannibalism and secondary treatments of bodies during funerary practices. This project aims to characterize cut marks on human bones from the Early Holocene secondary burial contexts excavated at Lapa do Santo site (Matozinhos, MG) between 2011 and 2019. The goals are: to locate the cut marks, to estimate their frequency, and to infer, through Alicona 3D micro-morphometric analysis, the raw material and edge morphology of the tools used. This project represents the first application of the Alicona 3D technology in Brazil, and the results of the study are expected to detail the operational processes of secondary treatments at Lapa do Santo. The results will also be integrated with lithic technological classification, its plant-processing patterns, and faunal classification to investigate symbolic dimensions related to tools selection and use at the site. (AU)