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Objectives A new tool for skeletal sex estimation based on measurements of the human os coxae is presented using skeletons from a metapopulation of identified adult individuals from twelve independent population samples. For reliable sex estimation, a posterior probability greater than 0.95 was considered to be the classification threshold: below this value, estimates are considered indeterminate. By providing free software, we aim to develop an even more disseminated method for sex estimation. Materials and Methods Ten metric variables collected from 2,040 ossa coxa of adult subjects of known sex were recorded between 1986 and 2002 (reference sample). To test both the validity and reliability, a target sample consisting of two series of adult ossa coxa of known sex ( n = 623) was used. The DSP2 software (Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste v2) is based on Linear Discriminant Analysis, and the posterior probabilities are calculated using an R script. Results For the reference sample, any combination of four dimensions provides a correct sex estimate in at least 99% of cases. The percentage of individuals for whom sex can be estimated depends on the number of dimensions; for all ten variables it is higher than 90%. Those results are confirmed in the target sample. Discussion Our posterior probability threshold of 0.95 for sex estimate corresponds to the traditional sectioning point used in osteological studies. DSP2 software is replacing the former version that should not be used anymore. DSP2 is a robust and reliable technique for sexing adult os coxae, and is also user friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acetabular region is often present and adequately preserved in adult human skeletal remains. Close morphological examination of the 242 left male os coxae from the identified collection of Coimbra (Portugal) has enabled the recognition of seven variables that can be used to estimate age at death. This paper describes these variables and argues their appropriateness by analyzing the correlation between these criteria and the age, the intra- and interobserver consistence, and the accuracy in age prediction using Bayesian inference to estimate age of identified specimens. Results show significant close correlation between the acetabular criteria and age, nonsignificant differences in intra- and interobserver test, and 89% accuracy in Bayes prediction. Obtained estimated age of the specimens had similar accuracy in all ages. These results indicate that these seven variables, based on the acetabular area, are potentially useful to estimate age at death for adult specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological site of Aljubarrota (Portugal) contained a secondary deposit of human bones. A previous investigation calculated the minimum number of individuals (MNI) as 414 adults, all male, with 52 macroscopically visible perimortem trauma (38 cuts and 14 puncture wounds). Both the archaeological and osteological data demonstrate a relationship between the bone collection and a violent conflict, specifically the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. This article contributes new data on the perimortem lesions documented in this collection. A total of 2762 bone fragments of the cranium and postcranial skeleton were studied, taking account of the demographic profile, taphonomic alterations, paleopathological modifications, and documented entheseal changes. A further 58 perimortem fractures were detected, all produced by blunt-force trauma, in addition to the 52 perimortem injuries previously documented. The most frequent injuries were blunt-force traumas (58), followed by sharp-force injuries (38) and puncture wounds (14). All perimortem fractures detected were in the femur or tibia, predominantly on the left side of the skeleton and mainly affecting the anterior plane of the bone and middle third of the shaft. The morphology and pattern of these perimortem fractures are consistent with their production by blunt or rounded instruments in face-to-face combat. The enthesopathic modifications observed in the femur fragments suggest that they may correspond to individuals on horseback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]