Characterization of silica distribution in rice husk using Synchrotron Radiation µCT and its implications for archaeological interpretation

• Published in: Microscopy research and technique Vol. 77; no. 10; pp. 785 - 789
• Main Authors: Wu, Yan, Yang, Yimin, Xiao, Tiqiao, Gu, Zhou, Hill, David V., Wang, Changsui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-10-2014; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: archaeology; phytolith; rice; Synchrotron Radiation µct; phytolith; archaeology; Synchrotron Radiation µct; rice
• ISSN: 1059-910X; 1097-0029
• DOI: 10.1002/jemt.22400

ABSTRACT
This article reports the results of a pilot project using Synchrotron Radiation µCT (computer‐aided tomography) to examine the distribution of silica within phytoliths from rice husks. Experiments indicate that computed tomography can be used to show how silica accumulates and is distributed in a distinctive zigzag pattern of long epidermal cells that are characteristic of phytoliths from rice husks. This method will help us to understand why the dry ashing method produced much more zigzag pattern of long cells phytoliths from rice husk than did the acid extraction method. Besides, the zigzag morphological pattern exhibited by long epidermal cells is characteristic of this species which makes it useful in the identification of rice husks from archaeological contexts and indicating heating process. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:785–789, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.