How Old?

The excavation team wants to know approximately how old this person was when he or she died. By studying the bones of many people whose age at death was known, scientists learned that bones change as a person ages. We can use part of the pelvis to figure out a person’s approximate age at death.

Physical anthropologists can estimate the age at which a person died by studying the growth, wear and tear of the skeleton. For example, tooth growth can give clues about the age of individuals younger than about 18 years. The last teeth to grow in are the last two sets of molars in the back of the mouth. One set grows in at approximately age 12 and the other at around age 18. Once the skeleton and teeth have finished growing, anthropologists must use clues that are not as easy to see to estimate age at death.

In our skeleton all of the teeth are present, so the person was clearly older than 18 years of age when he or she died. In adult skeletons, the best way to estimate age at death is to study the shape and texture of a joint called the pubic symphysis. The pubic symphysis is where the two sides of the pelvis come together. Both sides of the joint go through normal changes as a person gets older. These changes can be divided into four stages.

1. Stage 1: In young adults (younger than 25 years), the surfaces of the joint are bumpy and billowy and look like ridges made by sand on an ocean floor.
2. Stage 2: Over time, the surfaces become smoother because these ridges fill in with bone. At the same time, a rim begins to form around the edges of each joint (ages 26-34).
3. Stage 3: The rim is completely formed and the joint surface is smooth between ages 35-49.
4. Stage 4: By age 50, wear and tear on the joint becomes more obvious. The surfaces of the joint may become rough and the rim may develop sharp edges, which are signs of arthritis.

Dr. Mulhern’s Explanation

The pubic symphysis of our skeleton is most similar to Stage 4. The bone is quite broken down and the rim shows very sharp edges. Signs of arthritis are definitely present. This person was probably well over 50 years.

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