28th May 2005, 09:54 AM
I thought I would answer a few of the posted questions from an osteological point-of-view.
One person asked 'why are the foot and hand bones rarely recovered in sub adult remains'. To fully understand, we must remember than carpal and tarsal bones have NOT formed in infant and in young children. The osseous development starts around 2-4 months after birth and the 'bones' are the size of a large grain of sand! Fully recognizable bones occur in older children (you can refer to Scheuer and Black's Developmental Juvenile Osteology p. 324 for a figure of the development stages).
In terms of cremated remains; yes they have a better survival rate than inhumed bones... especially in acidic soil. This is due to the chemical changes in the skeletal elements when heated at a high temperatures. Unfortunately, the amount of remains left from a cremation of a sub adult is smaller than that of an adult. In a modern crematorium, an infant will leave 1 tablespoon of material behind!!! Diagnostic features such as unfused diaphyseal ends or developing teeth are needed to make a age estimates.
If I've missed some questions or you want to debate what I've said, please let me know!!!!
One person asked 'why are the foot and hand bones rarely recovered in sub adult remains'. To fully understand, we must remember than carpal and tarsal bones have NOT formed in infant and in young children. The osseous development starts around 2-4 months after birth and the 'bones' are the size of a large grain of sand! Fully recognizable bones occur in older children (you can refer to Scheuer and Black's Developmental Juvenile Osteology p. 324 for a figure of the development stages).
In terms of cremated remains; yes they have a better survival rate than inhumed bones... especially in acidic soil. This is due to the chemical changes in the skeletal elements when heated at a high temperatures. Unfortunately, the amount of remains left from a cremation of a sub adult is smaller than that of an adult. In a modern crematorium, an infant will leave 1 tablespoon of material behind!!! Diagnostic features such as unfused diaphyseal ends or developing teeth are needed to make a age estimates.
If I've missed some questions or you want to debate what I've said, please let me know!!!!