Work

Half a century of systematic research on heat-induced colour changes in bone – A review

Year: 2023

Type: review

Abstract: Skeletal human remains presenting heat-induced changes have been a focus of study for a long time. However, there is still a long way to go for the anthropologists to be able to fully interpret and understand these changes. Heat-induced colour modifications are one of the least understood phenomena in bone, displaying a variety of exceptions (e.g., tints of yellow, orange, blue, green, pink, and red) to the expected colour variations that bone can produce when exposed to high temperatures (i.e., ivory, brown, black, various shades of grey, and white). In addition to these, there is a lack of uniformization in the literature regarding the methods to determine the exact colourations observed and the nomenclature used, giving way to subjective descriptions. However, commitment to more objective and reliable methods is visible in more recent research. In this review, we compiled data published in the literature throughout the years to portray the state of the art regarding the potential of heat-induced colour changes for inferring the circumstances of death and the applicability of these methods in the legal framework.

Source: Science & Justice

DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2023.07.002

Authors: Joana Rosa, M. Paula M. Marques, David Gonçalves, Maria Teresa Ferreira

Institutions: University of Coimbra, Direção Geral do Património Cultural

Language: English

Topic: Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,720

Funders: Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia