A skeleton may be studied by archaeologists or forensic anthropologists and potentially provides a wealth of information about past or recently deceased people. The initial analysis involves describing the condition of the remains. Evidence of differential staining for example, may indicate how the individual was positioned after death.
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The skeleton can provide information about an individual's ancestry, sex, age and stature (a "biological profile"). Ancestry (once referred to as "race") relates to the geographic origin of the deceased, and is estimated by taking measurements and assessing the morphology (shape) of the head and lower jaw.
Morphological analysis of the pelvis and skull can be used to estimate the sex of a person. It is important to note that analysis can only provide information about an individual's biological sex, not their gender (which is a social construct).
Anthropologists also provide information about an individual's age-at-death (as opposed to the time since death) by examining areas of the body that change with age. A more detailed age can be provided for children because their bones and teeth are still developing. For adults it is only possible to provide a broad age range, for example, 30-40 years of age.
An individual's height can be estimated by measuring the long bones. The bones of the leg provide a more reliable estimate than the arm.
An analysis of the skeleton can provide information about diseases that may affect the skeleton and therefore insight into aspects of the person's health. Evidence of ante-mortem trauma (while the person was alive) may be useful in forensic cases where identification of the deceased is required.
Analysis of the skeleton cannot provide information on the cause of death because the person may have died from a cause that leaves no evidence on the bones, such as cardiac arrest. However the anthropologist can provide information about skeletal trauma (whether accidental or intentional) which may have resulted from blunt, high velocity projectile (ballistic), low velocity projectile or sharp force.
The level of detail that can be provided from the skeleton very much depends on the condition and preservation of the remains: a complete well preserved skeleton will provide far more information than, for example, the analysis of an isolated patella (kneecap).
In the words of the acclaimed American forensic anthropologist Dr Clyde Snow, "there is a brief - but very informative biography of an individual contained in the skeleton - if you know how to read it!"
Response By: Dr Soren Blau, Senior Forensic Anthropologist, at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
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