forensic archeology

PMI

Post-mortem interval

MNI

Minimum number of individuals

Cartilage

• Composed of water and highly resilient to crushing & tension

• Susceptible to shear forces (twisting & bending)

• Grows quickly as a child but cannot be regenerated in adults

• No blood cells

Adult human skeleton contains

206 bones

Newborn skeleton contains

~270 bones

Types of bone

1. Long bones

2. Short bones

3. Flat bones

4. Irregular bones

5. Sesamoid bones

Types of mature bone

1. Cortical/ compact bone

2. Trabecular/ cancellous/ spongy bone

Lamellar bone

Normal adult bone with symmetrically arranged collagen fibres

Woven bone

• Early prenatal bone or at sites of trauma/ pathology

• Randomly arranged collagen fibres

Taphonomic process

Process of decay

Articulated

Bones are together

Bone function

• protection

• Support

• Movement

• Blood cell formation

• Mineral storage

• Endocrine regulation

Osteoblast cell job

Building

Osteoclast cell job

Breaking down

Osteoclast cell

In its location

Intramembranous ossification

Bone formation (modelling) that occurs within a membrane

Endochondral ossification

Bone formation (modelling) that occurs within a cartilaginous model

Synanthrodial joint

Immovable

Amphiarthrodial joint

Slightly movable

Diarthrodial joint

Highly movable

Uniaxial joint

Hinge, pivot

Biaxial joint

Saddle, condyloid

Multiaxial joint

Ball & socket

Non axial joint

Plane

Axial skeleton

• skull, vertebrae, sternum, ribs, & hyoid bone

• Principle supportive structure of the skeleton

Appendicular skeleton

• pictorial girdle (claviculae & scapulae), pelvic girdle (ossa coxae), arms, hands, legs, feet

• Provides (fairly) freely movable frame for the upper and lower limbs

Anterior

Toward the front

Posterior

Toward the back

Medial

Toward the midline

Lateral

Away from the midline

Superior

Toward the head

Inferior

Toward the feet

Proximal

Limbs closer to the trunk

Distal

Limbs further from the body

How many bones is the skull made up of

A minimum of 28 individual bones

Neurocranium

Brain case

Splachnicranium

Facial skeleton, mandible, hyoid

Cranium(a)

Neuro- and splachno- crania (no mandible)

Skull

Cranium and mandible

Ear bones (ossicles)

Malleus, incus, stapes

Occipital

Back/ bottom of skull

Sphenoid

Bone that sits inside head

Zygomatic

Cheekbones

Maxilla

Paired bone that frames nasal cavity, top teeth are part of it

Nasal bone

Two bones paired that sit at the top of the bridge of the nose

Lacrimals

Bones where tear ducts sit

Ethmoid

Delicate bone with lots of spaces within, contains superior concha and middle concha

Inferior nasal conchae

Deep inside nasal cavity

Vomer

Bone that sits in middle of facial cranium

Palantines

Back part of upper roof of mouth

Mandible

Holds bottom teeth and allows you to chew your food

Hyoid

Bone that has horns and is suspended above the throat

Permanent (adult) teeth

Incisor-2

Canine-1

Premolar-2

Molar-2/3

Deciduous (infant) teeth

Incisor-2

Canine-1

Premolar-0

Molar-2

The vertebral column (Spine)

• attachment for muscles of posture and locomotion

• Protective Canal for spinal cord

• Important site of haemopoietic (blood-forming) activity

Vertebrae

7 cervical

12 thoracic

5 lumbar

5 sacral

3-5 coccyx

Shoulder girdle

Provides support and articulation for humerus (upper arm) and attachment for muscles

Femur

Thigh bone

Patella

Knee cap

Head

Top bump on a long bone

Tibia

• Paired with fibula

• Shinbone

Fibula

Paired with Tibia

Condyle

End of long bone

talus

Ankle

Tarsals

Feet bones

Calcaneus

Heel bone

Metatarsals

Arch of foot, top part of foot