Heat Induced Diagenesis and Osteometrics: An Experimental Approach to Assessing Thermal Alterations to Forensic Anthropological Data on Dry Bone

Fire appears in forensic casework in instances of arson, vehicle fire, house fire, to conceal evidence, or, in increasing contemporary frequency, wildfire, as a result of climate change. Thermal alteration is a destructive process to osseous material and can impact the accuracy of identification methods and trauma analysis by alteration of the structure, appearance, and morphology of human remains. This study seeks to validate previous research on the metric and morphological changes bone undergoes when exposed to extreme heat, and how that may impede estimation of metric features such as stature. Three long bones, a humerus, femur, and tibia, from a domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) that had been decomposed in an outdoor setting in the Great Plains, were heated to 1500°F in a kiln. This experiment was performed with a goal of reproducing a setting similar to skeletal remains effected by wildfire, whilst meeting the threshold for calcination (in which the bones’ crystalline and organic structure is altered). Osteometrics, weights, and visual/photographic analysis were conducted prior to and after experimentation for use in comparative analysis. Percentage decrease, paired data plotting and visual analysis supported the position that all bone exhibited alteration to size, color, and shape and all elements experienced a significant degree of change before and after heating. Ample preparation and further research, as it applies to burned remains in forensic anthropological casework, allows for more prompt and thorough recovery and analysis. Advisor: William R. Belcher