Stature

Question 1

Fully method

Answer 1

1. Measurement of all skeletal elements contributing to stature with a soft tissue correction factor added.
2. Considered to be most accurate method due to reduced error of estimation; does have an increased measurement error = measurement descriptions provide interpretation difficulties.
3. Issues with the correction factor consistently underestimated height > revised by Raxter et al.
4. Other adaptations include methods to use when certain elements are missing.
5. Not population or period specific.

Question 2

Trotter and Gleser method

Answer 2

1. Measurement of long bones inputted into a linear regression equation.
2. Based on the Terry collection, WWII and Korean war dead = american sample, male, Terry = low socioeconomic status.
3. Doesn’t require skeletal integrity.
4. Known issues with the measurement of the tibia .
5. Stature equations are known to be period and population specific; secular change.

Question 3

Fragmentary methods

Answer 3

1. Steele: uses ill-defined landmarks, reducing replicability = not used. Concluded it is more accurate to estimate long bone length from fragments than stature.
2. Simmons revision of Steele: corrected issues by using well-documented landmarks of femur. Contradict steele in stating it is more accurate to estimate stature directly from fragments.
3. Holland: fragmentary tibia: population-specific and only to be used as a last resort.
4. Increased measurement error and error of estimation when compared to traditional stature methods.