What bones can — and cannot — tell us.
A forensic anthropologist reads bones the way a court reads a document: carefully, conservatively, and with the limits of the medium in view. Mass-grave contexts add complexity, because the dead were buried together.
What anthropology can establish
- Biological profile. Estimated age range, sex, stature, ancestry — each with a margin of error.
- Trauma. Perimortem (around the time of death) trauma can be distinguished from postmortem damage by the way bone breaks.
- Time since death. Broad estimation only, especially in older cases — soil chemistry and burial depth matter.
- Burial pattern. Whether remains were buried at the same time, whether they were disturbed later, whether multiple individuals were commingled.
What it cannot do alone
- Establish identity — that requires DNA or unique antemortem records (dental, surgical).
- Name the actor who caused the trauma — that is a legal, not an anatomical, question.
- Read intent. Bones do not testify to motive.
Commingled remains
In mass-grave contexts, remains from multiple individuals are often mixed. The anthropologist's first job is separation — assigning bones to minimum numbers of individuals (MNI) before any analysis. This is slow, careful work. Rushed separation undermines every later step, including DNA matching.
The TLTE position
TLTE is not a forensic body. We publish explainers so that members of the diaspora can read court reports and OHCHR updates with informed scepticism — neither overclaiming what science says, nor dismissing findings that are well-supported.