Patterns of Mortuary Practice Associated with Ethnoreligious Genocides of the Silk Roads: The Role of Bacterial Necrobiome in the Decay of Frozen Wrapped Remains

Frozen body parts are likely to introduce a high moisture level to the wrapped microenvironment; however, the effect of these depositional circumstances on decomposition is not readily understood. The present study is the fourth in a sequence of taphonomic reconstructions focusing on the impact of microbial necrobiome in the decay of detached body parts. Using Sus scrofa (domestic pig) body parts, this study investigates the role of bacterial necrobiome in the decay of frozen wrapped remains in two temperature settings. The research methods included the Total Viable Count of bacteria, Gram staining, biomass loss and gross morphological changes. It was hypothesised that ambient temperature would not impact the biomass loss of the remains. The Total Viable Count showed a higher microbial load in a high-temperature setting, indicating that freezing does not necessarily kill the bacterial necrobiome. Gram stain analyses demonstrated that mostly Gram-negative bacteria were associated with higher temperature levels, suggesting a potential involvement in decay. Statistical analyses of body part mass loss yielded significant results, confirming that temperature is the influential variable in the decay of frozen remains. Morphological changes exhibited differential decomposition patterns specific to the tested microenvironments.  The first systematic attempt to understand frozen-wrapped microenvironments forms a basis for further research focusing on the taphonomic reconstruction of mass graves in regions with continental climates.