Chacarita Project: conformation and analysis of a modern and documented human osteological collection from Buenos Aires City--theoretical, methodological and ethical aspects

Osteological reference collections play a key role in bioanthropological research; they allow the development and testing of methods for sexing and ageing individuals using various bone and dental attributes. This paper presents the first stage results of the ongoing Chacarita Research Project, whic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Homo : internationale Zeitschrift fur die vergleichende Forschung am Menschen Vol. 63; no. 6; p. 481
Main Authors:	Bosio, L A, García Guraieb, S, Luna, L H, Aranda, C
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Germany 01-12-2012
Subjects:	Adult Age Determination by Skeleton - ethics Age Determination by Skeleton - methods Aged Aged, 80 and over Argentina Bone and Bones - anatomy & histology Female Forensic Anthropology - ethics Forensic Anthropology - methods Humans Library Collection Development Male Middle Aged Osteology - ethics Osteology - methods Reference Standards Sex Determination by Skeleton - ethics Sex Determination by Skeleton - methods Argentina
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Summary:	Osteological reference collections play a key role in bioanthropological research; they allow the development and testing of methods for sexing and ageing individuals using various bone and dental attributes. This paper presents the first stage results of the ongoing Chacarita Research Project, which aims to generate and study a reference collection of adult skeletons representative of the contemporary population of Buenos Aires city. The Chacarita Collection consists of unclaimed human remains of individuals of known nationality, sex, age, cause and date of death from the Chacarita Public Cemetery. Unlike other similar endeavours, this sample has been completely exhumed using archaeological techniques. So far, a total of 146 adult skeletons have been recovered (60 females - 41.1% and 86 males - 58.90%), the majority of which have ages-at-death in the range of 71-90 years. They were born primarily in Argentina (n=133; 91.1%), although other nationalities are also represented. Dates of death range between 1987 and 2000. In the short term, the osteological study of this collection will allow assessment of the performance of classical methods of sex determination and age-at-death estimation in a local setting. A special priority will be given to the study of osteological changes in individuals over 50 years. As the sample is being retrieved by exhumation, the impact of taphonomic agents on the most diagnostic bone structures is also being assessed. In the long term, this osteological collection will be available to generate new population-specific techniques and to develop comparative biological studies.
ISSN:	1618-1301
DOI:	10.1016/j.jchb.2012.06.003