Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 17, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Robert A. Benfer, Jr. and Dr. Deborah Pearsall. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This study focuses on the assessment of the depositional activity that occurred in six caves of the Petexbatun region of the Peten, Guatemala through a quantitative analysis of the human skeletal material recovered from them. Five of these caves are associated with the site of Dos Pilas; the sixth cave (Cueva de Los Quetzales) is located beneath the site of Las Pacayas. The cave is an important aspect of the Maya worldview, as evidenced in the artifactual and skeletal material found in caves by archaeological exploration. My study is specifically focused on the assessment of the primary and/or secondary burial of Maya dead within these caves via analyses of the relative skeletal element frequencies, the minimum and probable number of individuals, and the identification of human cut marks. Based on these lines of evidence and data from preliminary reports, between 100 and 150 individuals of both sexes and various age groups were primarily deposited/buried in these caves. Secondary activity may be inferred based on evidence of human-made cut marks on several elements. There is no osteological evidence to support the hypothesis of human sacrifice. I was unable to determine the status of the individuals deposited in the caves. The best interpretation is that several types of depositional activity occurred within these caves over time.

The identification of the sex and age-at-death of an individual is of primary importance in the analysis and description of adult human skeletal remains in both forensic and archaeological contexts. Many current methods of sex and age determination have been derived on a very small number of skeletal collections and critical evaluations of their reliability on material of different provenance have been few. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the utility of methods (a) in widespread use for age and sex estimation, or (b) even if not in widespread use but offering particular advantages and (c) derived during the course of this investigation with a view designed to improving accuracy of prediction and ease of application. Three European skeletal series of documented age and sex of different temporal origins were used for this evaluation. Only non-destructive tests were evaluated. For sex determination metric and non-metric observations from the innominate were tested, as it is generally considered the most dimorphic area of the adult skeleton. The discriminatory potential of long bone dimensions was also assessed since they tend to survive inhumation better than the innominate and may be the only skeletal material represented in fragmentary remains. Pubic symphyseal metamorphosis is probably the most frequently used method for age-at-death estimation and its utility as a predictor of chronological age was examined as was the degree of degenerative joint disease as evidenced from the long bones. A method was devised based on estimates of bone loss from radiographs and densitometric traces of the humerus. It provided the lowest standard error of estimate in age-at-death assessment. Many of the methods in current use proved less efficient in sex and age identification in the samples investigated than on the material on which they were derived. The reasons for this, and the implications for the reconstruction of biological identity from skeletal remains are discussed and recommendations for age and sex estimations on the innominate and long bones are made.

Thesis ( Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-211). Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 362-381). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University--San Marcos, 2009. / Vita. Appendix: leaves 73-80. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-90). Also available on microfilm.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-182). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-182). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004. / "June 2004." Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 362-381). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2004. / Advisor: S. R. Saunders. Includes bibliographical references (leaves189-209). Also available online.