Age estimation is a continuous challenge for anthropologists, particularly in adult skeletons. There has been much debate about whether osteoarthritis (OA) can be used to estimate age in skeletons. This study aimed to determine if there is a correlation between age and severity of OA and assess whether this correlation can be used to reliably estimate age in a sample of medieval skeletal remains. A score was applied to a sample of 18 skeletons at several joints to assess the severity of OA. The scores were summed, and individuals were analysed on a case-by-case basis to estimate an age based on knowledge of previous research. The results of linear regression modelling showed the strongest correlation between OA and age to be present when all joint OA scores were considered (R2 = 0.7528); the second strongest correlation was to hip OA (R2 = 0.5918) as is also reported in previous research. A statistical t-test showed no significant difference between ages estimated based on the severity of their OA alone vs ages estimated using typical techniques.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be a member of the University of Lincoln to be able to view this dissertation. Please log in here.