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PubMed1981

Biomedical waste disposal--Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Final rule.

The NRC is amending its regulations to permit licensees greater leeway in disposing of liquid scintillation media and animal carcasses containing tracer levels of hydrogen-3 (tritium) or carbon-14. These rule changes will primarily affect NRC licensed hospitals and medical research institutions. Most licensees presently dispose of these items by sending them to a radioactive waste burial ground or by obtaining special authorization from NRC for incineration or onsite burial. Under the new regulations, the licensee may dispose of specified concentrations of these materials without regard to their radioactivity. The NRC is also amending its regulations to raise the annual limits for disposal of hydrogen-3 and carbon-14 by release to the sanitary sewerage systems. The rule changes will conserve waste burial capacity that is already in short supply.

Government Agencies↗
PubMed2000

Cremation practices and the survival of ancient DNA: burnt bone analyses via RAPD-mediated PCR.

Numerous burial rites have been developed in different time periods of human cultural evolution. One of the most interesting burial practices was the ritual cremation of human bodies. Due to the respective cultural and religious background, brand graves are known where human remains had been buried together with burnt bones of animal origin. To date, burnt bone samples have been refractory to PCR-mediated amplification. D/L values of aspartic acid far greater than 80 x 10(-3) were measured in the samples thus indicating the presence of severely nicked and fragmented nucleic acids. In order to differentiate between burial gift of animal origin and burnt human specimens we established a highly sensitive protocol that addresses all the shortcomings connected to degraded ancient DNA. With the novel procedure it was possible to classify 4 specimens ranging from 2,000-5,000 BP on the basis of mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗
PubMed2000

Anthropological and palaeopathological analysis of the human remains from three "Tombs of the Nobles" of the necropolis of Thebes-west, upper Egypt.

During several recent excavation campaigns at the necropolis of Sheikh-Abd-el-Gurna, Thebes-West, Upper Egypt, we investigated the human remains of three "Tombs of the Nobles" totalling at least 273 individuals. The investigation covered the human material (skeletons and mummy residues) from the tombs TT-84, TT-85 and TT-95. These tombs had been built in the New Kingdom (approx. 1500-1000 B.C.) and used until the Late period (up to 330 BC). All samples were analyzed macroscopically, isolated findings were further investigated by endoscopic and radiological techniques. The at least 273 individuals covered an age range from newborns to senile individuals with a main age of death between 20 and 40 years of age. The rate of infants and subadults was at 20.2% of all individuals and there was a slight male predominance comprising 54.5% of the adults. In this population a fairly high rate of pathological lesions was seen. Thus, dental conditions generally were poor with a high degree of dental abrasion, an also high rate of carious dental lesions (affecting between 13.8% and 27.7% of the yaws) and consequently a significant number of dental abscesses (mean 15.9%). Residues of trauma were observed in a considerable number of individuals ranging between 12.3% and 22.6% depending on the burial place (mean 15.8%). Inflammatory bone reactions (except the dental abscesses) were present to variable extent, in some locations ranging up to 6.8% of the cases (mean 5.1%). In addition, we noted several cases showing cribra orbitalia (mean 29.2%) and porotic hyperostosis (15.4% of cases), mild to severe osteopenia (7.5%) and in several cases subperiosteal new bone formation suggestive of chronic vitamin D-deficiency ("scurvy") (9.5%). The data support the notion of a significant impairment of living conditions in a high number of individuals. The rates of osteoarthrotic joint alterations were considerably variable depending on the burial places (between 1.9% and 18.5%) providing insight into the physical activities of subpopulations in different locations of the burial places. Similarly, the rate of spondylosis showed also variable extent ranging between 12% and 66.1% of vertebral bodies. In general, our analysis provides evidences that the living conditions in the ancient Egyptian population of one of the main necropoles of Thebes analyzed in this study were quite poor. This is somewhat in contrast to the usually assumed high standard of living of the socially higher population of the capital of ancient Egypt.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Exhumation following incorrect identification. A case report.

The exhumation of two victims of a light aircraft accident was performed in February 1991 at Oudtshoorn, Cape. The exhumation was ordered by the magistrate on request of the parents of one of the victims who suspected that their son had been wrongly identified at the postmortem examination. At the pre-burial autopsy all the victims were positively identified, but the identity of two of the victims was subsequently reconsidered and reversed because one of them wore a silver bracelet. Burial then took place. The exhumation was ordered one month after the accident at which stage the bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition. Oral autopsies were performed on each of the victims, the jaws were radiographed and postmortem dental records drawn up. Dental records were obtained from the dentists who treated them and the information from these records was used to draw up ante-mortem dental records. A comparison between the postmortem and ante-mortem records showed that the victims were incorrectly identified and reburial in the correct graves was subsquently carried out. This case again emphasies the importance of dental identification in cases of severe burning, multilation or decomposition in order to avoid mistaken identity and incorrect burial in the future.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed2000

Frequent D-loop polymorphism in mtDNA enables genotyping of 1400-year-old human remains from Merowingian graves.

Improvements of DNA extraction and amplification techniques presently enable DNA analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) from samples which range from several hundred years of age up to possibly 5000 years. Taking advantage of the abundance of mitochondrial DNA and its polymorphic D-loop sequence, ten individuals from multiple burial sites of the Merowingian culture (South Germany), estimated to be about 1400 years old, were genotyped to determine possible kinship. Moreover, gonosomal DNA markers from the X- and Y-chromosome were applied for sex determination of the remains. In all individuals investigated, deviations from the Anderson mtDNA consensus sequence were observed, all representing substitutions (7 transitions and 3 transversions). Although such mutations have been reported from recent populations, our study constitutes the first description of these mtDNA mutations from numerous aDNA samples recovered from multiple burial sites. The results obtained by molecular anthropology can aid in describing kinship relations and burial customs of ancient remains.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

The reliability of mortality data in Johannesburg.

Information on deaths in Johannesburg is collected on a voluntary basis by the Johannesburg City Health Department from the Department of Home Affairs regional offices as well as state mortuaries in the area. The reliability of these routinely collected data was assessed. Records of deaths of Asians, coloureds and whites from 1 July 1989 to 31 December 1989 were included in the study. Burial orders obtained from the different cemeteries and crematoria in the area were compared with the routinely collected mortality data. Two thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven deaths were included in the study. One hundred and ninety (6%) deaths in the department's records could not be found among the corresponding burial orders while 1,019 (36%) burial order records were not found among the department's routinely collected mortality data. Underreporting of deaths was greatest among the aged (43%) and infants (39%). When this underreporting was taken into account, the corrected infant mortality rate was 19.1/1,000 live births as opposed to 14.1. Recommendations are made for the improvement of the quality of routinely collected mortality data.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Ethnicity of Scandinavian populations from 1050-1500 A.D.

In a skeletal material of five individuals from a non-christian cemetery in Middle Sweden (Vivallen) non-metric traits in skulls and mandibles were studied. Burial gifts and burial customs indicate Saamisch/Lappish origin of these individuals. Their affinities are explored here by comparing the traits with data on crania of Saamish populations from Northern Norway as well a with data of Nordic populations from Middle Sweden and Middle Norway. The Nordic populations from Sweden and Norway are dated to the Medieval period and the Saamish population is post-Medieval. The individuals of the Vivallen burial ground were found to exhibit Saamish as well as Nordic traits. These anthropological investigations together with odontological and palaeopathological studies constitute parts of the South-Saami project, in which also archaeologists from Sweden and Norway participate.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Genetic analysis of human remains from a double inhumation in a frozen kurgan in Kazakhstan (Berel site, Early 3rd Century BC).

The discovery of a big barrow of the Saka period in eastern Kazakhstan between the Russian and the Chinese borders provided the opportunity to excavate a frozen burial site. In the burial chamber, there was a wooden sarcophagus with two human bodies. The skeletons of these two individuals, a man and a woman, were well preserved. A genetic study based on STRs and mitochondrial DNA analyses was undertaken in order to determine whether these human remains belonged to close relatives. Results were obtained for all the markers. Nevertheless, nuclear STRs did not allow a clear conclusion concerning the relationship, but analysis of mitochondrial DNA showed that these skeletons were not close relatives.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Entomofauna of buried bodies in northern France.

Autopsies of exhumed cadavers can reveal important evidence for clarification of medical insurance and social issues. This study concerns insects sampled on 22 exhumed cadavers in the Lille area. For each corpse, the species and the stages of development were noted, as well as the time elapsed after burial, the location of the cemetery, the stage of decay and possible preservation treatment. A total of eight Diptera and two Coleoptera species were sampled on the corpses. The relationships between entomofauna and conditions of burial are discussed. Three species were regularly found because of their preference for underground environments or closed environments: Conicera tibialis, typically associated with buried bodies, Leptocera caenosa which is known to be associated with human faeces, water closets, caves and cracked soil pipes, and Ophyra capensis, sometimes found on human bodies kept indoors for several months, where blowflies have not had access. Triphleba hyalinata, which is associated with human bodies in wooden coffins, was found only twice.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The effect of soil type on adipocere formation.

Adipocere refers to a postmortem product which forms from body fat in the later stages of decomposition. Factors present in the surrounding decomposition environment will influence adipocere formation and may accelerate or retard the process of conversion. One such factor important in burial environments is the type of grave soil in which the burial has taken place. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of various soil types on the formation of adipocere in grave soils. X-ray diffraction and particle size analysis were used to characterise the soils which were essentially chosen on the basis of grain size. Infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to investigate the lipid profile and chemical composition of adipocere developed from decomposing tissue. The results suggest that adipocere is able to form in various soil types and that particular soil environments may accelerate its formation.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2005

Ultramicroscopic observations on morphological changes in hair during 25 years of weathering.

Weathering or long-term burial may cause profound morphological and histological changes in hair, which may affect the results of forensic and archaeological investigations. We therefore used ultramicroscopic techniques to assay the changes in weathering hair shafts caused by burial for up to 25 years. We found that the middle portion of hair shafts from living individuals shows the expected histological hair structure, while the cuticle layer was absent from the terminal portion of the same hairs, which may be due to the increased weathering experienced by the terminal portion. In hair samples taken 5 years after death, no significant changes in morphology were observed. By 15 years after death, however, we observed losses in various layers of the hair, including the cuticle layer. At 25 years after death, hair shafts showed a number of pores extending into the medulla, with only some hair shafts retaining their cortical layers. To our knowledge, this is the first ultramicroscopic study on weathering of hair for up to 25 years after death. Our results may therefore provide a basis for similar studies in the fields of forensic science and physical anthropology.

Burial↗
PubMed1999

Experimental validation of forensic evidence: a study of the decomposition of buried pigs in a heavy clay soil.

In a murder investigation, where the victim had been strangled and buried in a shallow grave, there were discrepancies between the post mortem interval (PMI) as estimated from entomological studies and estimations determined from other evidence. This inconsistency provided the impetus for examining the decay process using pig carcasses as analogues for the human cadaver. The pigs were buried in the immediate vicinity of the original burial site in December 1996, which was the month when the victim was purported to have been interred in the previous year. The buried pigs were then monitored for 5 months which, based on the evidence other than the entomological, was the period over which the corpse was thought to have lain in the ground. The pig corpses were disturbed by scavengers in mid April: this was the same time that the human corpse was discovered in the previous year by scavengers. Insects played no role in the decomposition process until the pig carcasses had been exposed by animals. Blowflies, notably Calliphora vomitoria, were attracted to the exposed tissues and laid eggs from which larvae developed. Calliphora vomitoria is a species often used to estimate PMI. This investigation has shown that soil conditions and low seasonal temperatures had preserved the pig carcasses for longer than might be expected. Using the blowfly larvae to estimate PMI would have produced erroneous results had not the burial environment and exhumation history been investigated.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

The social worker's role with a fetal demise and stillbirth.

When an unborn life suddenly becomes a fetal demise or stillbirth, family members are profoundly affected. Often the mother feels guilt or shame and cannot come to terms with such a loss. Counseling a grieving family may involve such matters as assisting the family in making arrangements for burial or disposition of the body. Additionally, the social worker may become directly involved preparing the body of a stillborn baby or fetal demise for viewing and holding. This article explains the procedures for assisting the family through the grief and mourning process. It offers details for preparing the baby for viewing and holding, describes burial arrangements, and provides information on hospital policies for the disposal of a fetal demise or stillbirth.

Bereavement↗
PubMed1996

[The phobia of being buried alive from Michael Ranft (1728) to Eugene Bouchut (1849)].

In the XVIII and XIXth centuries, a real morbid fear of premature burial raged all over Europe. Though this question is lost in the mists of time, the publication of Michael Ranft's book (1728) on the one hand, and the awarding of the Manni Prize to Eugène Bouchut (1849) on the other hand, are two key-dates, between which the amount of researches on the diagnosis of death show the need of reassuring answers to an anxious population. This paper summarizes the bibliography on premature burial, and its results on the diagnosis of death from 1728 till 1849.

Burial↗
PubMed2005

Recognition of cemetery remains in a forensic context.

The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines for the recognition of human remains from modem and historic cemeteries found in a forensic context. Three avenues of evidence may be pursued to confirm the origin of cemetery remains: context, condition of the body, and associated artifacts. This article outlines types of North American cemeteries, demonstrating how land use over time has resulted in many being closed, moved, or forgotten, leaving only the context to indicate their presence. The condition of human cemetery remains varies considerably depending on cultural practices and burial environment, but many exhibit combinations of the following traits: dried or embalmed tissue; erosion of bony pressure points; cortical bone flaking; and bone damage due to autopsy or embalming. Examples of artifact types useful in recognizing cemetery remains are also provided. Two cases from British Columbia, Canada are presented to demonstrate the diagnostic features of a disturbed cemetery burial.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1997

[Detection of DNA single-copy sequences of prehistoric teeth. Site milieu as a factor for preservation of DNA].

DNA-extracts from prehistoric roots of teeth were analyzed by PCR to investigate microsatellite-systems. At the same time the x/y-chromosome specific system Amel A/B was investigated. The samples were collected from different burial conditions of similar age. Factors leading to limited DNA-degradation are given. For the first time reproducible Quadruplex-amplification on single-copy loci of prehistoric tissue was obtained in samples from the Lichtenstein-Cave, Kr. Osterode/Harz. Positive results are explained by low temperature in the burial site. In addition the results show that desiccation allows DNA-preservation but cannot protect the DNA from damage due to microbial origin. Microorganisms can destroy DNA-structures completely.

Burial↗
PubMed1996

Transverse (Harris) lines in Irish archaeological remains.

Transverse lines were examined in 633 long bones from 73 individuals exhumed from two burial sites in the Republic of Ireland: Waterford City and Tintern Abbey. The burials cover four distinct periods between the 11th and 17th centuries. Lines were most numerous in the tibia, especially in the distal segment, and were not seen in the humerus nor the proximal part of the femur. The number of lines varied between the proximal and distal segments of each long bone, and though apparently equal in number across the midline, there were significant differences in the incidence of lines between corresponding pairs of bones. Thus, it is unwise to rely on the results of a single bone or one type of long bone alone either to indicate the health status of an individual, or as the basis for assessing the health status of a small population. Such results should be used only in association with other indicators.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Dwarfs in ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egypt was one of the most advanced and productive civilizations in antiquity, spanning 3000 years before the "Christian" era. Ancient Egyptians built colossal temples and magnificent tombs to honor their gods and religious leaders. Their hieroglyphic language, system of organization, and recording of events give contemporary researchers insights into their daily activities. Based on the record left by their art, the ancient Egyptians documented the presence of dwarfs in almost every facet of life. Due to the hot dry climate and natural and artificial mummification, Egypt is a major source of information on achondroplasia in the old world. The remains of dwarfs are abundant and include complete and partial skeletons. Dwarfs were employed as personal attendants, animal tenders, jewelers, and entertainers. Several high-ranking dwarfs especially from the Old Kingdom (2700-2190 BCE) achieved important status and had lavish burial places close to the pyramids. Their costly tombs in the royal cemeteries and the inscriptions on their statutes indicate their high-ranking position in Egyptian society and their close relation to the king. Some of them were Seneb, Pereniankh, Khnumhotpe, and Djeder. There were at least two dwarf gods, Ptah and Bes. The god Ptah was associated with regeneration and rejuvenation. The god Bes was a protector of sexuality, childbirth, women, and children. He was a favored deity particularly during the Greco-Roman period. His temple was recently excavated in the Baharia oasis in the middle of Egypt. The burial sites and artistic sources provide glimpses of the positions of dwarfs in daily life in ancient Egypt. Dwarfs were accepted in ancient Egypt; their recorded daily activities suggest assimilation into daily life, and their disorder was not shown as a physical handicap. Wisdom writings and moral teachings in ancient Egypt commanded respect for dwarfs and other individuals with disabilities.

Dwarfism↗