Burning temperature and bone modification: The cremation dynamics

Dario Innocenti; Francesco Simonit; Lorenzo Desinan

doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102376

Burning temperature and bone modification: The cremation dynamics

Leg Med (Tokyo). 2024 Mar:67:102376. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102376. Epub 2023 Dec 22.

Authors

Dario Innocenti¹, Francesco Simonit², Lorenzo Desinan²

Affiliations

¹ Università degli Studi di Udine, Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Italy. Electronic address: dario.innocenti@uniud.it.
² Università degli Studi di Udine, Dipartimento di Area Medica, Medicina Legale, Italy.

PMID: 38194752
DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2023.102376

Abstract

Burning a body is one of the best-known methods to conceal a crime. The aim of this study is to identify thermal changes in bones burned at pre-set temperatures. 100 cadavers undergone cremation were analysed. Cremation temperatures ranged from 600 to 1200 °C, whereas cremation time was monitored. Morphological and colour changes of the bones, the development of fire-related fractures and surface were studied to analyse bone response to thermal alteration.

Keywords: Burned remains; Forensic archaeology; Methodologies of Archaeological research; Taphonomy.

MeSH terms

Bone and Bones
Cremation*
Crime
Fires*
Humans
Temperature