ARCS2003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Long Bone, Pubic Symphysis, Dentition
30 Jul 2018
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Lecture 2: human osteology and forensic anthropology: role of forensic anthropologist, anatomical terminology, structure of bone, human skeletal elements, ancestry, sex determination, human vs animal. Ancestry: note any trauma or disease in the bone, note any unique individual characteristics (eg. healed fractures, advise on the manner and cause of death, note the particular taphonomic conditions of the site. Smallest number of people that can be accounted for by the bone assemblage: essential for large sites (mass graves) Identify, side and age every bone element: count the number of left and right elements. Whichever has more is the mni: must take sex, age and ancestry into account. Why do we have bones: control over our environment (locomotion, height, manipulation->food, clothing, shelter, protection, a container for organs- protection and storage, production of blood. Structure of bones: composite material, protein (collagen)-elasticity, strength after tension) and mineral (hydroxyapatite)- rigidity, strength under compression.
