At this moment, no method is available to objectively estimate the temperature to which skeletal remains have been exposed during a fire. Estimating this temperature can provide crucial information in a legal investigation. Exposure of bone to heat results in observable and measurable changes, including a change in colour. To determine the exposure temperature of experimental bone samples, heat related changes in colour were systemically studied by means of image analysis. In total 1138 samples of fresh human long bone diaphysis and epiphysis, varying in size, were subjected to heat ranging from room temperature to 900 °C for various durations and in different media. The samples were scanned with a calibrated flatbed scanner and photographed with a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera. Red, Green, Blue values and Lightness, A-, and B-coordinates were collected for statistical analysis. Cluster analysis showed that discriminating thresholds for Lightness and B-coordinate could be defined and used to construct a model of decision rules. This model enables the user to differentiate between seven different temperature clusters with relatively high precision and accuracy. The proposed decision model provides an objective, robust and non-destructive method for estimating the exposure temperature of heated bone samples.

The colour of thermally altered bone, recovered from archaeological and forensic contexts, is related to the temperature(s) to which it was exposed. As it is heated bone changes in colour from ivory white, to brown and black, to different shades of grey and chalky white. It should be possible to estimate exposure temperature based on visually observable changes in colour. In forensic casework the temperature that human remains have been subjected to can reveal information about the existence and nature of foul play. Therefore, it is important to understand the accuracy and precision of visual methods of temperature estimation. Twenty-eight forensic and/or physical anthropologists estimated the temperature that fourteen bone samples had been subjected to based only on their colour via an online questionnaire. Bone samples shown in the questionnaire ranged from unheated to having been heated at 1200°C. Respondents were given two options to base their estimates on, resulting in a multiple response analysis. The results suggest it is difficult to identify the correct temperature range based solely on colour. Most respondents felt confident enough to opt for a single option, which may have contributed to a relatively high number of incorrect estimates. Low accuracy and precision were found for most of the temperature ranges, especially in the lower and middle categories. This study demonstrates that caution should be taken in the reliance upon temperature estimates of thermally induced colour changes in bone and the need for further research and improved methods.

A taphonomic research facility for the study of human remains was recently realized in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to systematically investigate the decomposition of the human body under known conditions. Governmental authorization was obtained to make use of the body donation program of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location Academic Medical Center, for this specific purpose. In contrast to the small number of comparable initiatives elsewhere, this facility specifically allows for the study of buried bodies e.g. with the use of telemetry and remote sensing. Here, we discuss the concept of body donation in the Netherlands, its role in taphonomic research, and the sequence of events that preceded the realization of this facility, which is the first of its kind in Europe. In addition to offering novel research options to the scientific community, we hope that it will also pave the way for the successful realization of similar initiatives in other locations.

Literature on luminescent properties of thermally altered human remains is scarce and contradictory. Therefore, the luminescence of heated bone was systemically reinvestigated. A heating experiment was conducted on fresh human bone, in two different media, and cremated human remains were recovered from a modern crematory. Luminescence was excited with light sources within the range of 350 to 560 nm. The excitation light was filtered out by using different long pass filters, and the luminescence was analysed by means of a scoring method. The results show that temperature, duration and surrounding medium determine the observed emission intensity and bandwidth. It is concluded that the luminescent characteristic of bone can be useful for identifying thermally altered human remains in a difficult context as well as yield information on the perimortem and postmortem events.

When bone is exposed to thermal stress, the chemical composition changes. This affects bone tissue regeneration after surgery, and these changes can also aid in reconstructing ante-, peri-, and post-mortem events in forensic investigations and past activities on cremation practices in archaeology. However, to date, no complete overview exists on the chemical composition of both fresh and thermally altered bone. Therefore, we aimed (i) to present the chemical composition of fresh bone and (ii) to present an overview of heat-induced chemical changes in bone under both reducing and oxidizing conditions. From the overview, it became clear that some chemical changes occur at a consistent temperature, independent of exposure duration, meaning there is a temperature threshold. However, the occurrence of other chemical changes appeared to be more inter-experimentally variable, and therefore, it is recommended to further investigate these changes.