Decalcification and Staining of Archaeological Bones, With Histochemical Interpretation of Metachromasia

Metachromatic staining with azure A and toluidine blue was achieved on decalcified archaeological bones. The material was fixed in 10% formalin and in absolute alcohol and paraffin sections were stained in 0.1% azure A in 30% ethanol as well as in 0.5% aqueous toluidine blue. Various methods of decalcification are compared, and the authors recommend decalcification in equal parts of 2% citric acid and 20% sodium citrate, pH about 6.