| dc.contributor.author | Schanandore, James | |
| dc.description.abstract | Three-dimensional (3D) medical imaging provides a method to non-invasively examine the sub-surface structures of a mummified body, particularly the skeleton. The unique nature of both natural and anthropogenic mummification processes causes inconsistencies for estimating accurate age at death for a particular mummy or group of mummies. These inaccuracies are compounded when age at death methods are used in relation to 3D virtual models. There is a need for the examination of methods being used in mummy case studies and how they are being applied to the 3D virtual models.
My research encompassed three studies that addressed the relationship of and the variability when estimating age at death of mummies using radiological imaging. In one study, 146 published case studies were examined for which methods were used to estimate age at death. This study found that articles often provided an assessment of age, but many failed to specify the methods used to calculate the estimated age, and if specified methods were limited to certain areas of the body.
In a second study, a cohort of age at death methods was applied to a sample of 17 adult mummies and it was determined that some methods do not transpose well and consequently provided inaccurate age at death estimations when applied to 3D virtual models. Modifications to traditional osteological approaches for age estimation were sometimes necessary due to the presence of soft tissue and post-mortem changes to the body. This study proposes that more methods are needed that utilize the tools available for radiological images in order to limit the variability of transposing a traditional age at death method to virtual 3D models.
In the third study, the rim height of the auricular surface was measured using computed tomography scans of 97 living or recently deceased individuals’. These measurements targeted areas around the edge of the surface, for example the height of the apex above the surface. The rim height above the surface produced models that can accurately predict age at death. | en_US |
| dc.publisher | North Dakota State University | en_US |
| dc.rights | NDSU Policy 190.6.2 | |
| dc.title | Examination of Age at Death Methods and the Effects on Estimation Accuracy when Applied to Computed Tomography Scans and Virtual Models of Mummies | en_US |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_US |
| dc.type | Video | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-03-04T22:07:20Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-03-04T22:07:20Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2015 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10365/24808 | |
| dc.title.alternative | Estimating Age at Death of Mummies: An Examination of Age at Death Methods and the Effects on Estimation when Applied to Computed Tomography Scans and Virtual Models of Mummies | en_US |
| dc.rights.uri | https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf | |
| ndsu.degree | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | en_US |
| ndsu.college | Science and Mathematics | en_US |
| ndsu.department | Biological Sciences | en_US |
| ndsu.program | Zoology | en_US |
| ndsu.advisor | Bleier, William | |
