1

“Adam”

2

Thames, 2001

Torso found

Missing head

Missing arms

Professional cuts

Blood drained

3

Evidence

A torso

A pair of shorts

1

2

4

Made in China

Manufacturer found

Batch identified

Sold in West Germany

Shorts

5

Torso

Stomach contents examined

Identify plant

Identify origin

Northern Europe

Food

Pollen

1

2

6

Torso

Clay

From Africa

Toxic

3

Calabar beans

4

Stomach contents examined

Food

Pollen

1

2

7

Torso

Stomach contents examined

Clay

Gold particles

Food

Pollen

1

2

3

Calabar beans

4

5

Items 3, 4, 5 associated with African black magic

8

From Evidence

Murder?

Human sacrifice

How to continue with the investigation?

Where did Adam come from?

9

You Are What You Eat

Bones

Calcium phosphate

in protein matrix

Other metals

incorporated into bones

Calcium derived from diet

10

Traditional Societies

Eat home-grown food

Minerals from local soil

Incorporated into bones

11

You Are What You Eat

Relative abundance of trace elements in bones

Indicate geographical origin

Strontium, copper, lead

Analyze Adam’s bones

12

You Are What You Eat

Strontium

Copper

Lead

13

Summary

How spectroscopic methods work

EDX & SEM-EDX

Neutron Activation Analysis

Emission spectroscopy

1

2

3

Absorption spectroscopy