Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Human remains'
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1
Gulhan, Oznur. "Skeletal sexing standards of human remains in Turkey." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2017. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/12272.
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The identification of victims involved in mass fatality incidents, as well as the identification of unknown individuals in criminal cases has become an increasingly important issue nowadays. Sex assessment represents a key point in forensic evaluations due to its significance in providing biological identity. Even though the availability of documented skeletal remains to forensic practitioners is a common practice in many countries, in Turkey, contemporary documented skeletal remains are not available for this purpose. For this reason, studies have been focused on living populations. Previous research has shown that modern technologies such as CT scanning present very promising potential in establishing new standards for contemporary populations. Therefore, the main aim of this project was to examine the application of the measurements taken from 3D CT images of the femur in order to assess sex, and to contribute to the establishment of discriminant function equations for the Turkish population for forensic applications. The accuracy and reproducibility of imaging methods in the assessment of the measurements taken from femora are essential when estimating sex. This research also concentrated on determining the accuracy and repeatability of CT measurements, using the femur. Prior to primary data collection, a preliminary study was performed in an effort to test the reliability of the femur measurements. The results of reliability analysis indicated no significant difference between the three observations of each measurement. Thus, the methodology employed in the current study appears reliable and reproducible. In addition, a validation study was conducted to determine the linear measurement accuracy of the 3D volume rendering models derived from a medical CT scanner and the influence of different reconstruction parameters. The differences between measurements obtained from dry bones and their 3D volume rendered models were also evaluated. The results from this study indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between measurements taken from different reconstruction parameters and measurements obtained from CT images and drybones. Using the CT data, volume-rendering function (VR), 3D Curved Multiplanar reconstruction (MPR), and Scout View on OsiriX were employed in order to compare the accuracy and reliability of each rendering method and to determine which technique is optimal for linear measurements. Overall, the measurements taken from the 3D Volume Rendering images had the highest intra-observer reliability when compared to the other two rendering methods. This research study produced data and interpretations that will inform on and improve population specific standards of sex assessment from three-dimensional postcranial osteometric landmarks. Additionally, this research is believed to provide value for a developing discipline of forensic anthropology, and integrate within the existing systems of criminal investigation and disaster victim identification practices in Turkey. A Turkish sample population, consisting of 300 adult hospital patients was examined via the interpretation of CT reconstructed images using the OsiriX software. The 3D reconstructions were then created using the volume-rendering function in OsiriX (v.5.6.). Following the 3D reconstruction, an image of each femur was segmented from the surrounding bones to ensure the correct usage of landmarks as accurately as possible. Thirteen measurements were acquired using a 3D viewer after being located and marked on each CT reconstructed femora. These thirteen anthropometric parameters were measured and analysed by basic descriptive statistics and discriminant analysis methods using the SPSS 21.0 software package. The intra-observer variation was assessed by obtaining the intraclass correlation coefficient in order to evaluate the accuracy of the linear measurements taken. Asymmetry was also tested. The results indicated that an accuracy of 92.3% was acquired from a combination of six of the measurements, and the Femur Vertical Diameter of Neck (FVDN) measurement was found to be the most dimorphic with 88.0% accuracy.
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Smith, Patricia R. "The detection of haemoglobin in ancient human skeleton remains." Thesis, University of Essex, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.235815.
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Baxter, Mary Isobel. "Human remains from the British Neolithic : a taphonomic perspective." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2001. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/272066.
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Johnston, Cheryl Anne. "Culturally Modified Human Remains from the Hopewell Mound Group." The Ohio State University, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1039181572.
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Armit, Ian, and Fiona C. Tucker. "Human remains from Iron Age Atlantic Scotland Dating Project." Archaeology Scotland, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/4542.
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Anson, Timothy James. "The bioarchaeology of the St. Mary's free ground burials : reconstruction of colonial South Australian lifeways /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2004. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09pha622.pdf.
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Weinrich, Kendra S. "Oral Pathological Conditions in Early Postcontact Guale, St. Catherines Island, Georgia." The Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1587568057924649.
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Smith, Tandi Michelle Moore-Jansen Peer H. "A biocultural study of human skeletal remains from southwestern Colorado." Diss., A link to full text of this thesis in SOAR, 2007. http://soar.wichita.edu/dspace/handle/10057/1174.
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Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Anthropology."May 2007." Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 29, 2007). Thesis adviser: Peer H. Moore-Jansen. Includes bibliographic references (leaves 190-194).
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Thompson, Hayley L. "Skeletal variability in the human mandible with regard to sex." Laramie, Wyo. : University of Wyoming, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1313911661&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=18949&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Joseph, Kit. "The accurate dating and geographical sourcing of forensic-aged human remains." Thesis, University of Reading, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.501367.
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This project uses radionuclides from the uranium-238 decay chain series in conjunction with lead, strontium carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios to achieve accurate dating and geographical sourcing of human skeletal remains. A pilot study was conducted in order to test the hypothesis that 210pb stored within the skeleton during life decays at a known rate once death occurs. Samples of femur were used from 12 Portuguese individuals whose year of death was known.
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Gordon, Peter. "Tongued with fire : Encounters between museum visitors and displayed human remains." Thesis, Royal Holloway, University of London, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.531318.
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The display of human remains in Western museums is established practice but one that has been increasingly contested by a variety of constituencies. Nonetheless, such displays continue to attract UK museum visitors. However, little is known about what encountering human remains in museum settings actually means to visitors or about the methods through which researchers can access such responses. Also comparatively little is known (at least from the Anglophone literature) about the display of human remains in non-western museum settings, where remains may be those of actual or imagined ancestors of both staff and visitors. The thesis contextualises human remains within available literature on material culture before considering the poHtks and poetics of the collection and display of Peruvian mummified human remains in three museum settings: the Wellcome Collection (London), the Museo Inka in Cusco (Peru) and the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana in Salta (Argentina). In each setting, the context and manner of display, impliCitly or explicitly, imbue the human remains with meaning. The study explores encounters between the researcher and museum staff, between the researcher and museum visitors, and most significantly, between visitors and displayed human remains. Accessing the visitor encounter in ways that capture the power of such displays has been relatively unexplored by researchers and is demanding methodologically. To this end, the research borrows from psychoanalytic theory, adapting the concept of 'free talking' (and 'free writing') in order to elicit visceral responses to displayed human remains, and considering the concept of 'the uncanny' to understand them. This approach has profound implications: acknowledging museums and curators as contextualised and contextualising agents, and recognising visitors (and researchers) as both feeling and sense-making subjects, renders both the researcher and the traditionally impersonal institution visible. But more than this, it makes the visitor truly present.
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Rezos, Mary. "The Forensic Significance of Identifying the Ritual Use of Human Remains." Honors in the Major Thesis, University of Central Florida, 2006. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETH/id/1153.
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This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your Honors Thesis, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by following the instructions on the distribution consent form at http://library.ucf.edu/Systems/DigitalInitiatives/DigitalCollections/InternetDistributionConsentAgreementForm.pdf You may also contact the project coordinator, Kerri Bottorff, at kerri.bottorff@ucf.edu for more information.Bachelors
Sciences
Anthropology
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Magnanti, Brooke Leigh. "Macrobioinformatics : the application of informatics methods to records of human remains." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.412146.
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Mkhize, Nomalanga. "Bones of contention : contestations over human remains in the Eastern Cape." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007665.
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This thesis examines three contestations involving human remains which have arisen in the Eastern Cape over the past fifteen years. It shows that the value or meaning attached to human remains is constructed through the socio-historical dynamics out of which these contestations arise. The meaning and value of human remains is neither inherent nor neutral. In Ndancama's case, the need for housing in Fingo Village led hundreds of poor residents to settle on the township's Old Cemetery in 1972. Basic material needs trumped concerns for those buried in the cemetery. When the post-apartheid municipality sought to provide sewerage and housing infrastructure for Ndancama in 2003, its development plans were constrained by new heritage legislation which protects historic cemeteries. Residents insisted that their infrastructural needs were of primary importance. In 1993, the unearthing of human remains at the Old Military Cemetery in King William's Town created a thirteen year long saga which was only resolved with the reburial of the remains in 2006. The presence of the remains proved problematic for a number of reasons. Local authorities failed to rebury the remains speedily. The burden to store them fell on the Kaffrarian Museum which came under fire because this was considered unethical in the postapartheid era. The identity of the remains became a bone of contention in 2006 when the new Amathole District Municipality concluded that the remains were those of victims who died in the 1856-57 Great Cattle Killing. The remains and their reburial became symbols of past injustice and present restoration of African heritage. The 1996 quest by 'Nicholas Gcaleka', a 'self-styled' chief and traditional healer, to search for King Hintsa's skull in the United Kingdom provoked unprecedented public engagement with the incomplete narrative on the fate of Hintsa's body. The power to represent history, and the methods through which historical truth is discovered were at the heart of the contestation. Elites such as the Xhosa Royal and the white scientific establishment were considered neither credible nor authoritative on this historical matter. Public support for Gcaleka revealed that many South Africans sought just recompense for colonial injustices.
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Arney, Christle Shannon. "Morphological variation in the human tibia and its potential for profile estimation in human skeletal remains." Thesis, Wichita State University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10057/5159.
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This study evaluates the existence and degree of human variation as it is represented by the morphology of the tibia. Specifically, this research is undertaken in order to quantitatively address the morphological variation of this skeletal element to reveal the inherent variation within the individual, while also evaluating the discrepancies that result due to the sex and age of an individual. It also explores the interaction of tibial morphology with living stature, assessing the ability of the quantified portions of the bone to explain stature. In order to investigate this variation, the tibiae of 382 mature skeletal remains from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection in Cleveland, Ohio, were analyzed. These specimens were comprised of 180 females and 202 males whose group affiliation were designated as American Black.
Using univariate and multivariate analyses, the morphological variation of the human tibia was assessed in respect to goals outlined above. These analyses revealed the manner by which dimensions of the tibia covaries, providing a better understanding of the innate variation that exists within this bone. These procedures also enabled the evaluation of sex and age effects on the size and shape of the tibia, revealing that the variations due to sex are profound enough to allow accurate classification of the sexes from the morphology of the tibia. While age related changes impact the morphology of the bone, they do not impede the ability of the dimensions to be used as reliable sex indicators. Further, the assessment of the interaction of the tibia and stature demonstrates the degree by which the variables explain the stature variation in the sample, attesting to the capacity of the tibial dimensions to be used as predictors of stature. Finally, the efficacy of particular measurements employed throughout this study to obtain accurate information concerning human variation is established, as well as their applicability to fragmentary remains.Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Anthropology.
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McLaughlin, Jeanne M. "An evaluation of Oregon's system of identifying unidentified human remains and using technology to improve the efficiency of law enforcement and the medical examiner in identifying human remains /." Connect to title online (ProQuest), 2009. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1905728431&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=11238&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Lakin, Kay E. "Diet in medieval London : stable isotope analysis of human and faunal remains." Thesis, University of Reading, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.525115.
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Pope, Melissa A. "Differential decomposition patterns of human remains in variable environments of the Midwest." Scholar Commons, 2010. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/1741.
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Where do people die alone when they remain undiscovered for extended periods of time? Estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) is critical to reconstructing the events surrounding a person's death and this is an area in which forensic anthropologists have played a leading role. This thesis applied an anthropological framework that takes a comprehensive approach to analyzing the demography of unaccompanied deaths, the relationships and timing of decomposition in multiple depositional contexts, and created a model for the prediction of accumulated degree days (ADD) for bodies within enclosures. While there have been extensive experimental and case study reviews on decomposition in outdoor environments, very little data exist for enclosed spaces. A retrospective analysis of 2003-2008 Nebraskan autopsy records demonstrates that most people dying alone are within their homes.
Of the 87 forensic cases reviewed, 69 unaccompanied deaths occurred within enclosed environments. The value of retrospective studies in combination to experimental research is that the large number of variables that affect decompositional rates may be explored in a natural context. Multivariate models put emphasis on the dynamics of decompositional change and comprehensively address death and decomposition within an anthropological framework. For enclosed depositions, the PMI ranged from 1 - 66 days (n= 64, X¯=4.84, s.d.=9.1037) and the ADD ranged from 0 - 786 ADD (n=64, X¯=67.43, s.d.=120.275). Bass' (1997) model for outdoor surface decay was found to be an adequate predictor of the PMI for this sample (r=0.829, n=64, p
These results provided support for the prediction of ADD as a measure of the rate of decomposition. Relationships among ADD and multiple intrinsic, extrinsic and epidemiological variables were identified and considered for a multiple linear regression model. Variables selected by the model included: decomposition odor, use of air conditioning/heat, marbling, brain liquefaction, and mummification. The model was found to account for 95.2% of the variation in ADD (Adjusted R² =0.952; F=40.807, df=5, 5 and p
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Connell, Jasmine. "Multigenerational mtGenome analysis for identification of historical military remains." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2021. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/210165/1/Jasmine_Connell_Thesis.pdf.
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Using the unique Norfolk Island pedigree, this dissertation focused on extended pedigree analysis to evaluate the suitability of whole mitochondrial genome analysis for historical casework, and to provide one of the first mutation rate estimates for the entire mitochondrial genome. This research also provided a mitochondrial DNA control region database representing World War II-era Australian soldiers that has been used by the Australian Defence Force for human identification. It is expected that this work will help to reduce the incorrect identification of military remains and will assist the forensic community for cases involving familial matching.
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DeGreeff, Lauryn E. "Development of a Dynamic Headspace Concentration Technique for the Non-Contact Sampling of Human Odor Samples and the Creation of Canine Training Aids." FIU Digital Commons, 2010. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/291.
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Human scent and human remains detection canines are used to locate living or deceased humans under many circumstances. Human scent canines locate individual humans on the basis of their unique scent profile, while human remains detection canines locate the general scent of decomposing human remains. Scent evidence is often collected by law enforcement agencies using a Scent Transfer Unit, a dynamic headspace concentration device. The goals of this research were to evaluate the STU-100 for the collection of human scent samples, and to apply this method to the collection of living and deceased human samples, and to the creation of canine training aids. The airflow rate and collection material used with the STU-100 were evaluated using a novel scent delivery method. Controlled Odor Mimic Permeation Systems were created containing representative standard compounds delivered at known rates, improving the reproducibility of optimization experiments. Flow rates and collection materials were compared. Higher air flow rates usually yielded significantly less total volatile compounds due to compound breakthrough through the collection material. Collection from polymer and cellulose-based materials demonstrated that the molecular backbone of the material is a factor in the trapping and releasing of compounds. The weave of the material also affects compound collection, as those materials with a tighter weave demonstrated enhanced collection efficiencies. Using the optimized method, volatiles were efficiently collected from living and deceased humans. Replicates of the living human samples showed good reproducibility; however, the odor profiles from individuals were not always distinguishable from one another. Analysis of the human remains samples revealed similarity in the type and ratio of compounds. Two types of prototype training aids were developed utilizing combinations of pure compounds as well as volatiles from actual human samples concentrated onto sorbents, which were subsequently used in field tests. The pseudo scent aids had moderate success in field tests, and the Odor pad aids had significant success. This research demonstrates that the STU-100 is a valuable tool for dog handlers and as a field instrument; however, modifications are warranted in order to improve its performance as a method for instrumental detection.
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Kennedy, Bobbie-Jo. "DNA fingerprinting of Native American skeletal remains." Virtual Press, 1995. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/958779.
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The purpose of this project was to determine if the human skeletal remains of two distinct Native American cemeteries, found in close geographic proximity, represent the same population. These archaeological sites are similar in location and artifacts. Burial practices, however, vary between the sites. These differences may represent class distinction or a difference in the times the cemeteries were used. Radiocarbon techniques have given dates of AD 230±300 and AD 635±105 for these two sites. Several methods of DNA isolation were compared for their ability to yield PCR amplifiable DNA. DNA isolation using a combination of CTAB and phenol/chloroform/isoamyl alcohol (24:24:1) provided the best results and yielded amplifiable DNA form two individuals, Hn I (8F-410) and Hn 10 ( 27F-8-14 b). Purification of the DNA by extraction from low melting agarose gel was required prior to PCR, and PCR conditions were optimized to maximize the DNA yields. Regions of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome of isolated DNA were amplified by PCR using primers which are specific for the HincII region of the mtDNA genome. Inability of restriction enzyme HincII to digest the amplified DNA of these two individuals suggested that they belong to the Native American mtDNA lineage C characterized by the loss of this restriction site.Department of Anthropology
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Hoogewerff-Gergelj, Ana. "Human provenancing : combined isotopic and genetic profiling of limited bone and teeth material of ancient human remains." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2014. https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/53394/.
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The ability to identify and to trace the origin and movement of individuals is of major interest in forensics, archaeology and anthropology. To date, DNA profiling is still the most effective approach for human identification. Despite the success story of DNA profiling, there is a constant search for additional methods to aid in the identification of human remains. In recent years increasingly strontium and lead isotopes analysis have proved particularly useful as tracers for individual residency and migration. The re-occurring problem of limited sample material in archaeological and forensic investigations led to the second objective to investigate where sample material could be saved. The development of a new method for the simultaneous extraction of both strontium and lead from bone and teeth on a single Pbspecific resin proved to be successful. Both elements could be purified in sufficient amounts for successive isotope analysis. This work also investigated for the first time the feasibility of using the remaining bone residues after DNA extraction for further Sr and Pb isotope analysis. The first isotope results were promising and did not show any significant differences between fresh bone and bone residues. However, a more extensive trial is required to validate these exciting preliminary findings. To maximize the evidence for individual identification an interdisciplinary approach was chosen for this study. DNA profiling and strontium/lead analysis were employed in two case studies on human remains from a) the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and b) from a Late Anglo-Saxon burial in Norfolk, UK. DNA analysis proved not to be achievable due to the degraded nature of the skeletal tissues in both case studies. Strontium and lead isotope analysis could identify two possible migrants among the Spanish burial population. In the Norfolk case, isotopic evidence implied that the group was unlikely to be of local (Norfolk) origin.
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Stopp, Marianne P. "Early human adaption in the northern hemisphere and the analytic implications of taphonomy." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1994. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/272765.
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Abu, Dalou Ahmad Y. "The validity of morphological features and osteological markers in reconstructing habitual activities." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4877.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (July 17, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.
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Bush, Helen Margaret. "The recognition of physiological stress in human skeletal material : a critique of method and theory with a specific reference to the vertebral column." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.319914.
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Collins, Erika. "An osteological and mortuary analysis of the Insane Asylum of California cemetery, 1851-1854." [Chico, Calif. : California State University, Chico], 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10211.4/163.
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Nor, Faridah M. "A comparative microscopic study of human and non-human long bone histology." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/4463.
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Identification of human or nonhuman skeletal remains is important in assisting the police
and law enforcement officers for the investigation of forensic cases. Identification of bone
can be difficult, especially in fragmented remains. It has been reported that 25 to 30% of
medicolegal cases, which involved nonhuman skeletal remains have been mistaken for
human. In such cases, histomorphometric method was used to identify human and
nonhuman skeletal remains. However, literature has shown that histomorphometric data for
human and nonhuman bone were insufficient. Additionally, age estimation in bone may
help in the identification of human individual, which can be done by using a
histomorphometric method. Age estimation is based on bone remodeling process, where
microstructural parameters have strong correlations with age. Literature showed that age
estimation has been done on the American and European populations. However, little work
has been done in the Asian population. The aims of this project were thus, to identify
human and nonhuman bone, and to estimate age in human bones by using
histomorphometric analysis. In this project, 64 human bones and 65 animal bones were
collected from the mortuary of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre and the
Zoos in Malaysia, respectively. A standard bone preparation was used to prepare human
and nonhuman bone thin sections for histomorphometric assessment. Assessments were
made on the microstructural parameters such as cortical thickness, medullary cavity
diameter, osteon count, osteon diameter, osteon area, osteon perimeter, Haversian canal
diameter, Haversian canal area, Haversian canal perimeter, and Haversian lamella count per
osteon by using image analysis, and viewed under a transmitted light microscope. The
microstructural measurements showed significant differences between human and
nonhuman samples. The discriminant functions showed correct classification rates for
81.4% of cases, and the accuracy of identification was 96.9% for human and 66.2% for
animal. Human age estimation showed a standard error of estimate of 10.41 years,
comparable with those in the literature. This study project offers distinct advantages over
currently available histomorphometric methods for human and nonhuman identification and
human age estimation. This will have significant implications in the assessment of
fragmentary skeletal and forensic population samples for identification purposes.
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Brown, Jessica Lynn. "Morphological variation of the proximal femur in selected skeletal remains." Diss., Click here for available full-text of this thesis, 2006. http://library.wichita.edu/digitallibrary/etd/2006/t039.pdf.
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Nociarová, Dominika. "Taphonomic and anthropological analysis of unclaimed human remains from cemetery context in Barcelona." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/393919.
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Los objetivos de Antropología Forense son la interpretación del proceso de la descomposición de los restos humanos, elaboración de los perfiles biológicos, interpretación de los efectos tafonómicos en forma de descomposición diferencial, desarticulación y/o la pérdida de los elementos óseos, y la estimación del intervalo postmortem. La estimación del intervalo postmortem es una de las tareas más completas. En los casos de los restos en descomposición muy avanzada es aún más complicado por el gran rango de las variables que pueden afectar al estado cadavérico final. En Europa escasean los estudios sobre la descomposición con los modelos humanos, así que se suelen utilizar los modelos animales como sustitutos. Los restos humanos procedentes del contexto cementerial pueden servir para superar los problemas asociados a la baja disponibilidad y accesibilidad de los cuerpos humanos, así como el bajo número de los restos y la alta antigüedad de la muestra.
En la presente tesis se pretende evaluar la influencia de diferentes agentes tafonómicos sobre el estado cadavérico observado durante las exhumaciones en el contexto cementerial.
Se han estudiado los restos humanos no reclamados procedentes del Cementerio de Terrassa, Montjuïc y Collserola, con un intervalo postmortem medio de 22.63 años. Se han exhumado 301 cuerpos de ambos sexos, predominando los individuos adultos. Se ha descrito el estado cadavérico de los restos tanto a nivel individual como para todos los cementerios juntos. Se ha recogido la información tafonómica, antropológica y la información sobre la deposición de los restos. Asimismo se han obtenido los datos meteorológicos de la estación meteorológica más cercana a cada uno de los tres cementerio. Se ha calculado el intervalo postmortem desde el día de la muerte hasta el día de la exhumación.
Se han establecido cinco estados cadavéricos: esqueletización total, esqueletización con putrílago húmedo, esqueletización con putrílago seco y parcial desecación, momificación y saponificación con putrílago húmedo. Se ha podido observar que a nivel general predomina el estado cadavérico seco. Las partes anteriores de los cuerpos se han encontrado en mejor estado que las partes posteriores. No se ha demostrado la influencia de los factores intrínsecos, mientras que se ha confirmado la influencia de algunos de los factores extrínsecos. La presencia de sudario de plástico, de sudario funerario y una ubicación elevada del nicho dentro de la estructura funeraria facilitan el estado cadavérico húmedo. La presencia de vestimenta y de los pañales han demostrado retrasar la destrucción de los tejidos blandos. Los restos totalmente esqueletizados han presentado el intervalo postmortem más largo. No se ha confirmado la influencia de la época del año cuando murió el individuo, ni de la actividad de los insectos sobre es estado cadavérico. La ubicación de cada uno de los cementerios presentan condiciones únicas que afectan al estado cadavérico. Se ha demostrado el efecto de los factores meteorológicos sobre los cuerpos saponificados con putrílago húmedo. Así mismo se han descrito diferentes artefactos relacionados con los restos procedentes del contexto cementerial dividiéndolos en dos grupos, los altamente indicativos del contexto cementerial y los que son solamente sugestivos de ese contexto.
A partir de los restos esqueletizados se ha creado una clasificación de los posibles patrones de la disociación articular mediante los movimientos mínimos unidireccionales. Los patrones observados han sido articulación estricta, laxa, desarticulación o desplazamiento. El método ofrece la interpretación de los cambios postmortem relacionados con la intervención humana o ambiental.
No se ha podido definir una única variable como la que más afecta al estado cadavérico por la interacción entre todos los factores.The purviews of Forensic Anthropology are the interpretation of the decomposition process of human remains, the elaboration of biological profiles, the interpretation of taphonomic effects in form of differential decomposition, disarticulation and/or lost of bone elements, and the estimation of the postmortem interval. The latter is one of the most complex tasks. In the case of remains in advanced decay, it is even more puzzling because a large range of variables affects the final cadaveric state. In Europe there is a lack of research on human decomposition, and animal models tend to be used. Using human remains from cemetery context is a way to overcome the issues related to the low availability of human corpses, the low number of remains and the antiquity of samples. The main aim of this thesis is to evaluate the influence of different taphonomical agents on the final cadaveric state observed during exhumations in cemetery context. Unclaimed human remains from Cemeteries of Terrassa, Montjuïc and Collserola were analysed, with a mean postmortem interval of 22.63 years. The sample contains 301 exhumed corpses of both sexes, predominantly adults. Description of observed cadaveric states was performed separately for each cemetery as well as for all three cemeteries together. Taphonomic, anthropological and depositional information was gathered in the exhumation record. Meteorological data were observed from three different automatized weather stations close to the cemeteries. Postmortem interval was calculated from the day of death until the date of exhumation. Five cadaveric states were established: total skeletonization, skeletonization with wet putrid matter, skeletonization with dry putrid matter and partial desiccation, mummification, saponification with wet putrid matter. The dry cadaveric state was in general predominant. The anterior parts of the corpses were more complete that the posterior parts. Intrinsic factors (sex, age, cause of death) did not show any effect on the cadaveric state, but extrinsic factors did. Plastic body bags, funerary sheets, and an increase of the height of the niches facilitated the conservation in form of wet cadaveric state. Clothes and diapers delayed the destruction of soft tissue. Autopsied corpses did not present a clear prevalence of any cadaveric state. Regarding postmortem interval, totally skeletonized corpses presented the longest time since date of inhumation. No influence of the season when the individual died or of the presence of insect activity was confirmed. The locality of each cemetery displayed unique environmental conditions that affect the observed cadaveric state. Differences among cemeteries were found, which highlights the importance of climatic differences even in similar contexts. However, the influence of meteorological variables was statistically demonstrated, for instance, on the saponified corpses with wet putrid matter. Artifacts linked to cemetery context were described and classified into two groups: those highly indicatives, and those suggestive of the cemetery origin of the remains. A new method of evaluation of joint disassociation pattern was elaborated. Joint structure was described as articulated, disarticulated or displaced based on minimum unidirectional movements to reconstruct environmental characteristics of decomposition, including human intervention. It is a useful tool to describe the funerary ritual in the case of ancient remains and the circumstances surrounding the death in forensic context. The use of human remains from cemetery context stands out as an important model to analyse human decomposition and understand the evolution of corpses in advanced state of decomposition. Prevalence of just one factor cannot be identified in cemetery conditions due to the interactions among all the factors.
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Masterton, Malin. "Duties to Past Persons : Moral Standing and Posthumous Interests of Old Human Remains." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Centrum för forsknings- och bioetik, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-122508.
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Genetic research has increasing power to analyse old biological remains. Biological traces of well-known historical persons can reveal personal information. The aim of this thesis is to investigate ethical concerns for the dead, within the biological, historical and archaeological sciences. In philosophy there is a long-running discussion on whether or not the dead can be wronged. The good name is proposed as a candidate of a posthumous interest. It is first of all argued that slandering per se can be wrong regardless of posthumous wronging of the dead. Secondly, the concept of change is investigated. It is argued that the property of having a reputation is a relational property. Hence a change in public opinion of a dead person, is also a change in the dead person’s reputation. The third contribution of this thesis is a constructive proposal for how a posthumous identity could be understood using narrative theory. Understanding identity through the life-story opens up the possibility of a gradual loss of identity after death, rather than absolute loss at the moment of death. Fragments of a person‘s narrative identity can persist in other peoples’ narratives, and for some historical persons, their narratives can be found long after their death. Finally, the implications of a remaining narrative identity for the dead are investigated in the area of archaeology and museumology. In the past 30 years, there has been increasing critique about present and past discriminatory handling of old human remains by archaeologists, in museums and in other institutions. Increasing numbers of requests have been made for repatriation or reburial of old human remains. Following an analysis of three current ethical guidelines in handling old human remains, changes to these guidelines are proposed based on a narrative method to a hypothetical claim of reburial.
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Yahya, Padillah. "DNA analysis of human skeletal remains associated with the Batavia mutiny of 1629." University of Western Australia. Centre for Forensic Science, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0034.
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In this thesis human skeletal remains believed to be the victims of the Batavia Mutiny of 1629 were subjected to DNA analysis. So far the remains of 10 individuals (of which 9 were available for this study) have been exhumed from Beacon Island, in the Houtmans Abrolhos, off the coast of Western Australia. The remains are now stored in the Western Australia Maritime Museum (WAMM) in Fremantle. In this research an attempt is made to type ancient DNA (aDNA) from the remains of the Batavia Mutiny, which are almost 400 years old. Previous anthropological studies have been performed on these remains in order to assign sex, age and stature. The aim of the present project is to study the familial relationships of the remains and to determine their sex based on molecular genetic analysis. In order to protect the invaluable museum specimens and minimise the risk of contamination from exogenous contemporary DNA, a tooth sample from each available individual (designated A15507, A16316, A15831, M3901, SK5, SK6, SK7, SK8 and SK9) was subjected to DNA extraction. Comparison and optimisation of DNA extraction methods from more recent teeth samples was performed in order to determine the most suitable method for the DNA extraction of the ancient teeth samples. Three types of genetic markers were analysed in an attempt to study the familial relationships and determine the sex of each individual. Multiplex primers (Hummel, 2003) which simultaneously amplify the HV1 and HV2 regions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were used in this research to analyse familial relationships. These primers were selected because of their ability to amplify small fragments (131bp, 168bp and 217bp) of DNA template, which suit the nature of aDNA samples. Primers published by Sullivan et al.(1993), which amplify a 106bp region on chromosome X and 112bp on chromosome Y of the amelogenin gene, were used to determine sex. In addition, short tandem repeat (STR) marker were also analysed to determine familial and sex using the AmpFlSTR®Profiler PlusTMPCR kit from Applied Biosystems. The PCR conditions of all primers were optimised before usage on the Batavia remains. As aDNA analysis is prone to contamination, stringent precautions were undertaken throughout this research. Despite this, contamination is suspected in some of the mtDNA sequences obtained (particularly from SK5, SK7, A15507 and A15831), which most probably came from the positive control used in the optimisation analysis. For these samples the sequences for the HV2 region were poor and polymorphisms relative to a reference were similar to each other and to the positive control profile. However, some conclusions have been made on other individuals (SK8, SK9, M3901, A16316) based on the HV1 and HV2 sequences obtained. Based on two or more different polymorphisms observed in the individuals it was concluded that it is likely there is no maternal relationship between individuals A16316 and SK8, SK9 and M3901 and between individuals SK8, M3901 and SK9. However these results require repetition for confirmation. The attempt to type the amelogenin gene on chromosomes X and Y was unsuccessful most likely due to the poor preservation of the remains. It is apparent from this research that although it was possible to extract aDNA (especially multicopy mtDNA) from teeth material that were almost 400 years old, the main hurdle in this aDNA analysis was contamination and DNA degradation.
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Davis, Ivy A. "A study of archaeological human skeletal remains from site 41PT25 in West Texas." Thesis, Wichita State University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10057/6098.
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Knight, K. Paige. "Analysis of cremated human remains from the McCullough's Run Site, Bartholomew County, Indiana." Virtual Press, 1999. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1129632.
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Presented in this thesis is the human osteological analysis of the cremation burials from ten Early Archaic features excavated at the McCullough's Run Site (12-B-1036) located in the eastern portion of Columbus, Bartholemew County, Indiana. The analysis of burials excavated from the McCullough's Run Site, one of the few Early Archaic Cemeteries found in the United States to date, add data that serve to clarify and expand our understanding of the Early Archaic in Indiana.Department of Anthropology
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Miller, Erin L. "Analysis of the human skeletal remains recovered from the Elrod (12CL1) archaeological site." Virtual Press, 2008. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1397644.
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This study presents a skeletal analysis of the burials from the Elrod (12CL 1) site. This site, excavated by E.Y. Guernsey in the 1930s, has exhibited extreme commingling and loss of context. The early date, before the implementation of archaeological standards, and lack of publication are the primary sources of commingling. An outline for dealing with commingling, as well as a demographic profile and overview of health, were created during this research. The Elrod site has been characterized as a Middle to Late Archaic shell midden, though literature and analyses presented here support a stratified excavation of the Elrod burials. The stature, dentition and pathology suggest that this series contains individuals from several temporal periods and is not confined to the Middle-Late Archaic.Department of Anthropology
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Batt, Fiona. "A critique of the status of ancient indigenous human remains in international law." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.687442.
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This thesis set out to understand the continued retention and delay in the return of ancient indigenous human remains by museums through an overall examination of the status of ancient indigenous human remains in international law. This thesis focuses on the status of indigenous human remains from a legal perspective critiquing property, cultural property, cultural heritage, intellectual property, Traditional Knowledge (TK) and a human rights approach. This thesis argues that there are three potential explanations for the delay or non-return evident in disputes. This thesis has offered up three possible solutions in a response to the explanations. The explanations are, (i) Ancient indigenous human remains are viewed as property by museums therefore they see themselves as the owners however indigenous peoples see themselves as custodians of their ancestors' human remains; (ii) There is a lack of a clear legal status in international law in relation to ancient indigenous human remains due to their sui generis nature; (iii) Furthermore there is a lack of human rights sensitisation in relation to claims for the return of ancient indigenous human remains. The solutions are, (i) Drawing on Honoré's theory and the metaphor of the bundle of sticks this thesis substitutes the traditional bundle of sticks in the property bundle for an indigenous perspective of the sticks which illuminates the true value of ancient indigenous human remains to indigenous peoples; (ii) After an analysis of the fragmented nature of international law in this area a useful jurisprudential and instrument Toolkit emerges; (iii) Adopting a human rights based approach recognises the necessary implementation of repatriation mechanisms. The approach sensitises the associated claims which run parallel with claims for ancient indigenous human remains. Furthermore a human rights based approach recognises that the cultural property and intellectual property terms in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples can be interpreted with reference to the indigenous context of the Declaration.
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Maja, Wikborg. "The absence of human remains in Valsgärde cemetery. Natural process or ritual phenomena?" Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för arkeologi och antik historia, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-324492.
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DeChant, Mallory. "The Effects of Climate, Psychological, and Physical Stressors on Human Remains Detection Canines." OpenSIUC, 2018. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/2276.
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Ten canines were utilized in a repeated design to examine the effects of stress associated with work on activity expenditure, core body temperature, and salivary cortisol. However, only eight canines had valid data results due to the ninth canine having a metabolic syndrome that was not diagnosed. The tenth canine was removed from the study prior to initiation of the search scenario due to aggression. The objective was to observe the impact of stressors associated with work on activity expenditure, core body temperature, and salivary cortisol in human remains detection canines. Nine canines were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 simulated search sites which each had two repetitions 1A) RU (rubble area with two concealed partial cadavers); 1B) RU (open crop field with one concealed partial cadaver); 2A) WA (wooded area with two concealed partial cadavers elevated off the ground); 2B) WA (wooded area with two concealed partial cadavers); 3A) MC (mass casualty area with eight exposed full body cadavers); 3B) MC (mass casualty area with five buried full body cadavers). Canines searched for an average of 90 minutes at each site which was then followed by a 10 minute rotation period where canines randomly rotated to one of the other two sites. Upon completion of the third site, canines repeated the first site location. There was a 69 minute rest period between the second and third rotation. Canines were rotated through search sites such that one canine was actively working (AW), the next canine was waiting to work (WW) and was exposed to visual and auditory stimulation in preparation for work and the third canine in the rotation was not working (NW) and crated in the handler’s vehicle with no visual or auditory stimulation associated with work 100 feet from WW area. Total activity expenditure was not influenced by site (P = 0.89) which may indicate detection canines were efficient in expending energy during this study. This correlated with the walk activity expenditure by site as it did not differ based on site (P = 0.16). The canines expended a similar amount of walk energy at each site and this may demonstrate that canines spent more time searching and in scent of the cadaver(s). Conversely, run activity expenditure was influenced by site (P = 0.03), specifically RU site was greater than MC site. When further comparison of the RU repetitions was analyzed, the second repetition was greater than the first in run activity expenditure (P < 0.0001). Canines at the RU site during the second repetition had an easier ability to run compared to the first repetition because of the nature of the site. Total activity expenditure was influenced by rotation (P = 0.04) but was not influenced by rotation within site (P = 0.17). The first rotation was greater than the fourth rotation which may indicate a psychological stressor such as anticipation of the work and possible acclimation of the site. The fourth rotation was at the same location site as the first rotation and canines did not have the novelty of the site as a psychological stressor during the fourth rotation. Canines that did not have exposure to full body cadavers prior to this study did not have greater total activity expenditure (P = 0.46) at the MC site compared to canines that did have exposure to full body cadavers prior to the study. There was an effect of phase on core body temperature (P = 0.0003). However, 95.3% of canines had their core body temperature peaked in the NW phase directly after the AW phase. Which demonstrates that core body temperature continued to increase post exercise. There was also a plateau in the core body temperature for 18 minutes post exercise which could indicate peripheral vasodilation. Attenuation of core body temperature occurred 37 minutes after cessation of the AW phase. There was an effect of site (P < 0.0001), rotation (P < 0.0001), and rotation within site (P < 0.0001) on core body temperature. This may indicate that there was a boundary layer stimulus that acted as a psychological stressor. In addition, the second and third rotation were greater than the first and fourth rotation which is most likely due to the increase in humidity during the second rotation. Core body temperature was impacted by total activity expenditure (P < 0.0001) which is to be expected with increased exercise, core body temperature increases. Salivary cortisol was influenced by site (P = 0.003), specifically the WA site was greater than the MC and the RU site. The WA site may have had a stronger psychological stressor with the tree lines compared to the MC and the RU sites. Rotation within site did impact salivary cortisol (P < 0.0001). However, rotation alone did not influence salivary cortisol (P = 0.42). Core body temperature did not impact salivary cortisol (P = 0.18). Total activity expenditure did not affect salivary cortisol (P = 0.73). Salivary cortisol and age of canine did display a pattern (P = 0.003). Salivary cortisol and exposure to prior full body cadaver did not displayed a pattern (P = 0.78). Based on these results, some physical stressors such as site, rotation, and exercise impacted activity expenditure, core body temperature, and salivary cortisol. This thesis provides limited data dissemination on three physiological parameters that may be impacted on independent variables that are associated with search scenario work. More research is needed to confirm if these specific stressors observed impact activity expenditure, core body temperature, and salivary cortisol in human remains detection canines.
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Åkesson, Emil. "Age of the Cremated : On the estimation of age of burnt human remains." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Osteoarkeologiska forskningslaboratoriet, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-182048.
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The estimation of age is an important aspect in osteoarchaeological analysis. In order to understand people and their fates in past societies, researchers must turn to palaeodemography. Therefore, it is vital that the methods of age estimation, which the foundations of palaeodemographic reconstructions rest upon, are as accurate and reliable as possible. In current Swedish cremation-osteoarchaeology, two methods of age estimation are commonly used: suture closure and relative thickness of the diploë. However, no substantial evaluation of these two methods have been undertaken. This study aims to evaluate the two methods of age estimation of cremated remains, suture closure and relative thickness of the diploë. This was done by testing the two methods on two unburnt populations, Mediaeval city-dwellers from Helgeandsholmen, Stockholm, Sweden, and Middle-Neolithic hunter-gatherers from Ajvide, Gotland, Sweden. Suture closure and proportion of diploë was observed in comparison with age-related changes of the auricular surface of the ilium and the pubic symphysis. Based on the results of the study, possible courses of action were proposed and then applied on cremated remains from a Late Iron Age burial ground on Lovö, Stockholm, Sweden. The results showed significant moderate correlation with age for both methods (0.61 for suture closure and 0.58 for proportion of diploë). However, early stage of suture closure could identify a group consisting of juveniles and young adults, while advanced suture closure could identify a group consisting of middle adults and old adults. These results, which proved to be more reliable than existing methods, can, hopefully, lead to improvements of the assessment of age in cremated remains, and increase our understanding of the fates of people of the past.
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Anderson, Melissa Fay. "Estimation of adult skeletal age-at-death using the Sugeno fuzzy integral." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/5750.
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Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on July 7, 2009) Includes bibliographical references.
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Nor, Faridah Mohd. "A comparative microscopic study of human and non-human long bone histology." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/4463.
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Identification of human or nonhuman skeletal remains is important in assisting the police and law enforcement officers for the investigation of forensic cases. Identification of bone can be difficult, especially in fragmented remains. It has been reported that 25 to 30% of medicolegal cases, which involved nonhuman skeletal remains have been mistaken for human. In such cases, histomorphometric method was used to identify human and nonhuman skeletal remains. However, literature has shown that histomorphometric data for human and nonhuman bone were insufficient. Additionally, age estimation in bone may help in the identification of human individual, which can be done by using a histomorphometric method. Age estimation is based on bone remodeling process, where microstructural parameters have strong correlations with age. Literature showed that age estimation has been done on the American and European populations. However, little work has been done in the Asian population. The aims of this project were thus, to identify human and nonhuman bone, and to estimate age in human bones by using histomorphometric analysis. In this project, 64 human bones and 65 animal bones were collected from the mortuary of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre and the Zoos in Malaysia, respectively. A standard bone preparation was used to prepare human and nonhuman bone thin sections for histomorphometric assessment. Assessments were made on the microstructural parameters such as cortical thickness, medullary cavity diameter, osteon count, osteon diameter, osteon area, osteon perimeter, Haversian canal diameter, Haversian canal area, Haversian canal perimeter, and Haversian lamella count per osteon by using image analysis, and viewed under a transmitted light microscope. The microstructural measurements showed significant differences between human and nonhuman samples. The discriminant functions showed correct classification rates for 81.4% of cases, and the accuracy of identification was 96.9% for human and 66.2% for animal. Human age estimation showed a standard error of estimate of 10.41 years, comparable with those in the literature. This study project offers distinct advantages over currently available histomorphometric methods for human and nonhuman identification and human age estimation. This will have significant implications in the assessment of fragmentary skeletal and forensic population samples for identification purposes.
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Labuschagne, Lizl. "The use of histological examination methods to distinguish between the burnt remains of human and non-human bones." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32470.
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Distinguishing between burnt human and non-human bone fragments using macroscopic methods has proved challenging and it was seen in the literature review that the previous research did not all come to the same conclusions. The aim of the research was to determine if, using histological methods, it was possible to distinguish between burned human and nonhuman bone fragments. A literature review was compiled to provide an overview of the anatomy of bones, morphological characteristics of bone, general bone histology, a comparison between human and non-human bones and the effect of temperature on bones. Bones of five different species (human, baboon, wildebeest, pig and cow) were burned in a muffle furnace for twenty minutes at either 600ᵒC or 800ᵒC. Following the burning procedure, thin ground bone sections of the burned and unburned bone specimens were prepared for microscopic analysis and the minimum canal diameter, maximum canal diameter, minimum Haversian system diameter, maximum Haversian system diameter, area of canal, and area of the Haversian system were measured. A comparative analysis was then done across species and temperature. A total of 523 osteons in unburned bone and 147 in the burned bone samples were analysed. ANOVA testing found overall significance (p < 0.0001) for all parameters measured, which suggests that temperature does affect the size of microstructures. Most parameter sizes increased with an increase in temperature. A greater increase was seen at 600 degrees than 800 degrees. Qualitatively, carbonation within the burned bone, made the measurement of parameters difficult in some samples. Human bone can easily be differentiated from pig, cow or wildebeest bone due to no or very few osteons present. Pig bone consisted almost entirely of plexiform bone, while the cow and wildebeest presented with only a few osteons in some parts of the bone. Human and baboon bone appeared similar on a microscopic level. The study revealed that temperature did not, in general, hamper the ability to differentiate between burned human and non-human bone, but it did impact on the number of measurable data points for each parameter.
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Smart, Tamela S. "Carpals and tarsals of mule deer, black bear and human an osteology guide for the archaeologist /." Online access, 2009. http://content.wwu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/theses&CISOPTR=316&CISOBOX=1&REC=5.
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Hunnius, Tanya von Saunders S. R. "Applying skeletal, histological and molecular techniques to syphilitic skeletal remains from the past /." *McMaster only, 2004.
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Kincer, Caroline D. "A Paleodemographic Analysis of a Sample of Commingled Human Skeletal Remains at Ohio University." Ohio University Honors Tutorial College / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1524843441411637.
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Gaston, Amanda. "Human Life in Early Bronze Age I Jericho: A Study of the Fragmented Human Skeletal Remains from Tomb A61." Thesis, Department of Archaeology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/17951.
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This Honours research thesis takes an in-depth look at the human skeletal remains from an Early Bronze Age I Jericho tomb, excavated by Kathleen Kenyon in the 1950’s. Tomb A61 contains highly fragmented and commingled human bones, and has remained unstudied until this year. A sample of the tomb has been analysed in order to study the demographics and health of the occupants. In doing so, it is not only the intention to create a picture of human life in Jericho at this time, but also tie the human skeletal remains back into the archaeology of Jericho, and the Southern Levant. The Southern Levant in the Early Bronze Age I is a region undergoing socioeconomic transition. The non-urban Chalcolithic period makes way for the fortified and walled settlements of the Early Bronze Age II. The impact of this transition on the populations of the Early Bronze Age I is so far understood from the archaeology of the architecture and artefacts from settlements and corresponding funerary structures. Yet there is little study of the human remains themselves, and the stories they can tell about the populations of the Early Bronze Age Southern Levant. This lack of study is just a branch of a greater problem, however, which is the little uniformity across the study of human remains on an international level. Issues include varying global approaches to ancient human remains in the 19th and 20th Centuries, as well as the compromised state of fragmented and commingled human remains. This osteoarchaeological study of a tomb from Jericho, which is representative of the Early Bronze Age I Southern Levant, aims to contribute to these discussions and debates, whilst providing further published data for human skeletal remains for future research.
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Cox, Katharine, and n/a. "Human migration in prehistoric Northeast Thailand." University of Otago. Department of Anatomy & Structural Biology, 2009. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20090626.150746.
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The aim of this thesis is to examine the scale of human migration in three prehistoric settlements in the Upper Mun River Valley (UMRV) Northeast Thailand, from c. 1700BC - AD500. Archaeological data implies migration may have had a central role in the development of agriculture and later metal technology in the region, which is suggested to show increased social complexity over this important stage in the development of states in mainland Southeast Asia. The scale of these migrations, however, are not known and based on archaeological evidence it is unclear whether there were large numbers of individuals migrating into the region in order to bring about the changes seen in the archaeological record.
Two potentially complementary-methods are used to identify the extent of migration in the UMRV in this thesis. The first method, the study of dental morphological traits, is used as an indication of genotype of 78 prehistoric individuals. The second method is isotope analysis of the dental enamel of 74 individuals, used as indicators of childhood residence and diet. Strontium (Sr), Carbon (C) and Oxygen (O) isotopes are analysed. The first method reflects an individual�s genetic heritage through inherited traits, while the second method is an indication of an individual�s migration during their lifetime. Together, these methods may provide a powerful means to assess the scale of migration over an extended period of time in this region.
As it has been posited that the introduction of agriculture is related to migration of people into the region, the current study hypothesises that while immigrants would be identified from outside the UMRV during all phases of occupation at the sites, this would be particularly so during the earlier phases. It is also hypothesised through analysis of the morphological traits that genetic relationships at each site could be suggested. Finally, it is also hypothesised that individuals with evidence for infectious diseases, which are otherwise rare in the region, would be immigrants.
The frequencies of the dental morphological traits at each site are calculated, and a local pattern for each site developed. The results from the morphological traits suggest low levels of migration into the UMRV, and overall group homogeneity. Despite this homogeneity, it is suggested that several individuals may have been from a different genetic pool to others at the sites, reflected in a different combination of dental traits. There is also some evidence for genetic relationships between individuals, and over time, possibly indicating familial relationships at the sites.
Stability in the Sr isotopes over time suggest a local signature for the UMRV. Sr isotopes did not support a hypothesis of large-scale immigration into the UMRV, as there were few isotopic outliers identified. Those individuals with clear outlier Sr results, and therefore probable immigrants, were predominately female. All phases of occupation of the UMRV attracted some long-range inward movement of people, although the data suggests long-range migration diminished over time.
[delta]��C values show no significant change over time, possibly supporting the Sr data of limited migration into the region. While the interpretation of this isotope is primarily from a perspective of migration it is recognised that this may be limited to understanding variation in diet in the individuals. [delta]�⁸O values show significant change over time (p = 0.00, ANOVA), perhaps consistent with previous research which suggested increased aridity in the UMRV. An alternative explanation of the [delta]�⁸O data is that migration increased with time, with people who were differentiated by their O isotopes but not their Sr, however the increased aridity hypothesis is favoured here.
The hypothesis that individuals with evidence for infectious disease would be long-range immigrants into the region is rejected. None of the individuals who had physical evidence for infectious disease had chemical data to support their being immigrants.
The putative migrants to the UMRV are presented as case studies, assessing the complementarity of the methods used. It is argued that given the changes in the environment over time in the UMRV the area may have become less attractive to immigrants and as a result the communities may have become more insular. The data yielded from the two methods have demonstrated the value of using inherited dental traits together with isotopic data of individual migration for investigating human mobility in the past. Using these methods, this study shows that there were low levels of migration into the UMRV and that long-range migration was more frequent in the earliest phases of occupation in the region.
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Morton, Sarah. "The legacies of the repatriation of human remains from the Royal College of Surgeons of England." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2017. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:adba50f9-85b6-421d-b8bc-648c381611bc.
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The repatriation of the human remains of Indigenous peoples collected within a colonial context has been the subject of debate within UK museums over the last 30 years, with many museums now having returned human remains to their countries of origin. Although the repatriation of human remains is often characterised as the 'journey home', there has been a lack of consideration of the physical presence and mobility of the remains and the meanings created as they move through different spaces. This study uses the repatriations from The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) to Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii as case studies to consider three key areas: (i) the impact of repatriation on museum landscapes; (ii) the journey of the repatriated remains and how this mobility intersects with wider discussions about restitution, sovereignty, identity, relatedness, memory and memorialisation; and (iii) the repatriation archives, how they are thought about by the institutions that hold them and their future potential and meaning within a post-colonial context. Taking a more-than-representational approach and engaging with the materiality, mobility and agency of the repatriated remains and the documentation that relates to them, this study bridges the gap between research considering the approach of museums to repatriation, and ethnographic studies on the meanings of the return of ancestral remains to individual communities. Combining work on museum geographies, deathscapes and absence opens up new ways of theorising and discussing repatriation through understanding the process in terms of the tension between absence and presence, and human remains as being in or out of place. Through engaging with the materiality and agency of the remains and viewing repatriation through a spatial lens, this thesis deals with aspects of the process that have received little attention in previous studies, foregrounding the challenging nature of repatriation for communities, the issues around unprovenanced remains, and discussions about the control, management and meaning of information and data, identifying that a significant legacy of repatriation for RCS is the documentation the museum continues to hold. What the journey of the ancestral remains repatriated by RCS illustrates is the emotive materiality of the remains, and agency that they and the distributed repatriation archive have as actors within social networks. It is therefore proposed that the concept of repatriation as having problematised human remains collections within UK museums is replaced with a nuanced and contextually sensitive understanding that recognises the role of the human remains in social interactions that impact on the emotional geographies of museum practice, and that rather than framing repatriation as post-colonial act that is either political or therapeutic, the return of ancestral remains be understood as part of a process of decolonisation in which there is space for discussion, disagreement and debate amongst all stakeholders.
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Minjares, Amador Jr. "Human skeletal remains of the ancient Maya in the caves of Dos Pilas, Guatemala." Thesis, Texas A&M University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/243.
Full textAbstract:
This study focuses on the assessment of the depositional activity that occurred in six caves of the Petexbatun region of the Peten, Guatemala through a quantitative analysis of the human skeletal material recovered from them. Five of these caves are associated with the site of Dos Pilas; the sixth cave (Cueva de Los Quetzales) is located beneath the site of Las Pacayas. The cave is an important aspect of the Maya worldview, as evidenced in the artifactual and skeletal material found in caves by archaeological exploration. My study is specifically focused on the assessment of the primary and/or secondary burial of Maya dead within these caves via analyses of the relative skeletal element frequencies, the minimum and probable number of individuals, and the identification of human cut marks. Based on these lines of evidence and data from preliminary reports, between 100 and 150 individuals of both sexes and various age groups were primarily deposited/buried in these caves. Secondary activity may be inferred based on evidence of human-made cut marks on several elements. There is no osteological evidence to support the hypothesis of human sacrifice. I was unable to determine the status of the individuals deposited in the caves. The best interpretation is that several types of depositional activity occurred within these caves over time.
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Hellewell, Emily Rebecca. "An investigation into the placement of disarticulated human remains into shell middens during prehistory." Thesis, University of York, 2015. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/11418/.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this thesis was to critically evaluate the evidence for disarticulated human remains in shell middens, using sites in northwest Europe dating to the Late Mesolithic/Early Neolithic as case studies. Traditionally, disarticulated remains placed in shell middens have been overlooked and assumed to be the result of burial disturbance with little in-depth analysis to the plausibility of this as an interpretation. The research considers whether it is possible to determine that the remains occurred through disturbance to inhumations, and to assess to what extent it is possible to reconstruct the processes of deposition of disarticulated remains. A new methodology has been developed with specific emphasis on identifying what taphonomic processes may have led to commingled human remains to be found at shell midden sites. Six hypothetical bone profile diagrams are presented, based on differing taphonomic processes known to affect burial remains. These hypothetical diagrams then provide comparative models to assess the evidence presented in the case studies. Three case studies located on the coast of western Scotland; Cnoc Coig, An Corran and Carding Mill Bay, demonstrate that it is likely that the placement of human remains into ancient shell middens emerged as part of secondary burial practices employed around the time of the Mesolithic/ Neolithic transition, while a Danish case study, Havnø, highlights a potential change in practices occurring from the Mesolithic into the Neolithic. Critically, the close assessment of the disarticulated remains provides strong evidence that disarticulated remains in shell middens are likely to be the result of more complex burial processes than previously thought.
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Fforde, Cressida. "Controlling the dead : an analysis of the collecting and repatriation of aboriginal human remains." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.244998.
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