Year of Award

2007

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Anthropology (Forensic Anthropology Option)

Department or School/College

Department of Anthropology

Committee Chair

Randall Skelton

Commitee Members

Carol Van Valkenburg, John Douglas

Keywords

Forensic Anthropology, Osteomyelitis

Abstract

University of Montana Forensic Case #66 has been used as a teaching tool for many years. Little written information is available on the origin of this case. Information on the date of recovery is not available, nor are the circumstances surrounding the recovery. My goal in this report is to understand more about this case, particularly age at death, ancestry, and pathology. This case is particularly intriguing because it presents a textbook example of osteomyelitis, a pathological condition. Additionally, it is of significance to the history of the area because of its recovery in the state of Montana. As a current graduate student in the University of Montana Forensic Anthropology Department, I have the great opportunity to examine this case. This paper presents the results of a detailed comprehensive analysis incorporating current methods to further the knowledge concerning UMFC #66. Since the time of discovery there has been speculation on the ancestry of this case. In some previous analyses the ancestry has been ascribed to the peoples of Africa, and in others to the peoples of Asia or the Americas. Based my interpretation of the data collected, I conclude that this person was of Native American descent. I estimate this person’s age at between of 37 and 53 at the time of death. Osteomyelitis has greatly affected the left femur and adjacent bones. This caused a skeletal deformation of the ribs, possibly associated with lying on the side for extended periods of time. Cause of death can only be attributed to osteomyelitis since there is no other pathology or trauma indicating otherwise.

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© Copyright 2007 Jeffery Adam Schiel