Are the remains human, and how old are they?
- Method
Before profiling bones, the expert decides whether they are human, whether they are of forensic interest or archaeological, and how many people they represent.
What it is
When bones are found, the first questions come before sex, age or identity: are they human, are they recent enough to matter to the justice system, and how many individuals do they represent? Whole bones are usually recognised by their shape; fragments, burnt bones and those of young animals are harder and may need microscopy, imaging, DNA or protein tests. To tell forensic from archaeological remains, the context matters (type of burial, associated objects, dental fillings), and so does radiocarbon dating: tissues formed after the nuclear tests of the 1950s and 1960s carry extra carbon-14 (the 'bomb pulse'), which marks the remains as recent. The minimum number of individuals is set by pairing and articulating bones and, if needed, by DNA. The biological profile that follows (sex, age, stature) is on its own page.
Accuracy and limits
- Shape alone is less reliable for fragments, burnt bone and immature animals.
- No single test settles every case; methods are combined.
- DNA may fail in poorly preserved bone.
- Bomb-pulse dating may give two possible ranges (before and after the peak), so it is read with the context.
- Features such as tooth wear can occur in present-day people too and must be read with care.
What it is based on
- Human and animal bones differ in shape, size, density and microscopic structure.
- Atmospheric nuclear tests raised carbon-14 sharply until the early 1960s; it has fallen since, and each tissue records the level of the years when it formed.
- Different tissues renew at different rates (bone slowly, hair fast), so they can give different date ranges.
How it is applied
- Recover all fragments with their context (position, soil, associated objects), under chain of custody.
- Lay the bones out in anatomical order and identify each one.
- Decide whether they are human by shape and size; if in doubt, request microscopy, imaging or DNA.
- Look for signs of a recent context: dental work, surgical material, modern clothing or objects.
- If the date is uncertain, request radiocarbon dating of bone, teeth or hair.
- Count the minimum number of individuals by duplicated bones, pairing and articulation.
- If the remains are human and recent, go on to the biological profile and identification.
Next step: what to do and document
- When bones are found, do not move them before the judicial police document the site.
- If they are clearly animal, record why (which bone, which species features) so the case can be closed.
- If there is any doubt, treat them as human and send them for expert study under chain of custody.
- Record in the report the method used for each conclusion and its limits.
- If the remains are human and recent, report it to the authority so that identification can begin.
Common mistakes
- Calling animal bones human, or the reverse, from a single fragment.
- Confusing a child's bones with those of an animal.
- Assuming old-looking bones are archaeological without dating them.
- Counting individuals by the number of bags received instead of by duplicated bones.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What are the first three questions when bones are found?
Whether they are human, whether they are of forensic (recent) or archaeological interest, and the minimum number of individuals.
What is the bomb pulse in radiocarbon dating?
The extra carbon-14 released by atmospheric nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s; tissues with it were formed after that period.
Which finding on the teeth suggests a recent rather than archaeological context?
Dental fillings or other dental work.
How is the minimum number of individuals estimated?
By duplicated bones, matching pairs, articulation, size comparison and, if needed, DNA.
Connections
Educational content on forensic and legal medicine; not legal advice and no substitute for the technical guides of Colombia's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. Laws change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, follow the guide in force and ask the competent authority.
Sources: The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016) (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2017); Differentiating human versus non-human bone by exploring the nutrient foramen: implications for forensic anthropology (International Journal of Legal Medicine (Johnson V et al.), 2017); Application and implications of radiocarbon dating in forensic case work: when medico-legal significance meets archaeological relevance (Forensic Sciences Research (Bertrand B et al.), 2024).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.