Determination of age at death in human skeletal remains: A comparison of two techniques

Reliable palaeodemographic reconstruction is dependent upon accurate determination of age at death in human skeletal remains. Two methods, Todd ( Todd , 1920, 1921) and Suchey-Brooks ( Katz & Suchey , 1986), which use morphological changes of the os pubis as an indicator of age at death, were applied to a sample of Central California Indians. Life tables were constructed and the two data sets were compared. Differences between the two data sets were evident when life expectancies, mean ages, and survivorship curves were compared. Because both methods were developed using male samples, only the male data were considered valid. In a comparison between the two male data sets it became apparent that the differences lie in the upper decades depending upon which method was used. In an attempt to rectify the difference in age ranges between the two methods, a conversion of Todd phases into equivalent Suchey-Brooks phases ( Katz & Suchey , 1986) was employed. Applications and limitations of both methods are discussed and it is suggested that the Suchey-Brooks method is to be perferred.