Article2006

Test of the Lamendin aging method on two historic skeletal samples

Mary S. Megyesi · Douglas H.VE Ubelaker · Norman J. Sauer

57 citations0/0 files storedAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology

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Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies

Abstract

The Lamendin aging method involves the quantification of root translucency and the attachment position of the periodontal membrane. It was developed using recent medical-examiner specimens, and was tested on modern skeletal samples such as the Terry Collection (Lamendin et al. [1992] J. Forensic Sci. 37:1373-1379; Prince and Ubelaker [2002] J. Forensic Sci. 47:107-116). The method may be one of the most useful for estimating age after the mid-30s. The current study is an evaluation of the Lamendin criteria on two historic skeletal samples from Britain. Both the Christ's Church Spitalfields and St. Bride's Church collections represent documented skeletal samples that were interred in the 18th and 19th centuries. In total, 1,188 teeth from 220 adult individuals were examined from these two collections. The Lamendin method requires measuring total root length (cementoenamel junction to apex), gingival regression (cementoenamel junction to periodontal ligament attachment), and root translucency (root apex to maximum level of root translucency) on the labial surface of single-rooted teeth. Our results indicate that postmortem factors affect the applicability of the Lamendin technique to archaeological and historical samples. In particular, root translucency disappears with time, or is obscured by unknown postmortem taphonomic effects related to the length of interment or postmortem environment. Thirty-five percent of our sample showed no root translucency, indicating that caution is required when applying this method to archaeological or historical remains. The mean error of age estimates for Spitalfields and St. Bride's was higher than in the original study of Lamendin et al. ([1992] J. Forensic Sci. 37: 1373-1379), and higher than in the test by Prince and Ubelaker ([2002] J. Forensic Sci. 47:107-116) of the Lamendin method on the Terry Collection.

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References

1971History of Human Life Span and Mortality 1950Age Determinations on Teeth 1973History of Human Life Span and Mortality.1992A Simple Technique for Age Estimation in Adult Corpses: The Two Criteria Dental Method 1970Determination of Age in Humans from Root Dentin Transparency 1999Evaluation of Seven Methods of Estimating Age at Death from Mature Human Skeletal Remains 1978An Improved Technique Using Dental Histology for Estimation of Adult Age 2002Application of Lamendin's Adult Dental Aging Technique to a Diverse Skeletal Sample

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