Application of Trace Elemental Profile of Known Teeth for Sex and Age Estimation of Ajnala Skeletal Remains: a Forensic Anthropological Cross-Validation Study

Teeth store crucial information needed for medical, environmental, genomics, public health, and forensic anthropological research work. The prolonged forensic utility of teeth is ensured by their extended postmortem longevity as they can resist almost all sorts of chemical, biological, and physical degradations or destructions. The main aim of the present investigation was to utilize the discriminant functions and regression equations generated from the elemental profile of known teeth for estimating sex and age of unknown human skeletal remains excavated from an abandoned well at Ajnala (Amritsar, India). The written records mentioned that 282 Indian mutineer soldiers were killed in July 1857, their cadavers were dumped in the disused well, and then a religious structure was built over the periphery of the said well. These human remains, along with some contextual items, were excavated non-scientifically in April 2014. Preliminary results obtained from application of different forensic anthropological techniques like stable isotope, pulp-tooth area ratio, and mtDNA analyses have indicated that these remains belonged to adult males. In present study, the elemental concentrations of 100 mandibular molars of known age and sex were estimated from wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometer (WD-XRF) analyzer. The statistical equations so generated from elemental concentrations of known teeth were applied to estimate the probable age and the sex of unknown mandibular teeth (N = 100) collected from Ajnala skeletal assemblage. The elements Pb and As were detected in ancient teeth only whereas the detection of elements like Ba, Se, and Te was limited to modern teeth samples only. When the statistical equations so generated were applied to elemental concentrations of Ajnala teeth, it was found that 96% teeth belonged to adult males and the remaining ones were classified to be that of females. Though sexual differences were observed in concentrations of majority of elements, statistically significant differences were found in elemental concentrations of very few teeth. Age estimates of unknown teeth were found in the age ranges of 19 to 48 years. Thus, the trace elemental analysis results supported the written records that the victims were adult males. The cross-validated application of elemental profiles of known teeth for establishing the identity of unknown teeth is the first forensic anthropological study reported from India. Though the obtained accuracy levels were not found within acceptable forensic threshold limits, the present study results may guide future researches involving human hard tissues. It may be concluded that trace elemental concentrations of teeth may be influenced by the factors like age and sex of an individual and thus cannot be used for accurate and reliable forensic sex or age estimations. Dental trace elemental composition can be used as a forensic tool only if used in conjunction with other morphological or molecular analysis of the unknown dental remains.

Dental health status of skeletal remains excavated from an abandoned well at Ajnala, India: a bioarchaeological study

Present study was conducted to assess dental health status of the mid-19th century skeletal remains excavated from an abandoned ancient well and to scrutinize the demographic affiliations of the remains. Thousands of bones, teeth and contextual items were excavated non-scientifically from an abandoned well situated underneath a religious structure at Ajnala (Amritsar, India). Four thousands four hundred and seventy five teeth of each type were examined for presence of dental pathologies of caries, wear and linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH). The frequency distribution of each pathological state was calculated for each tooth type using international dental standards available in the literature. The overall dental status was characteristic of young individuals having low prevalence of dental caries and enamel hypoplasiac lesions. Very few teeth had seriously exposed dentine and pulp cavity; indicating consumption of some cariogenic food items. The maxillary and posterior teeth were more affected with dental caries than the mandibular and anterior teeth. LEH defects were found more commonly distributed in the lower canines (44.9%) and upper incisors (34.8%) than their corresponding counterparts and statistically significant differences were noticed in LEH prevalence between anterior and, posterior dentition. The overall percentage of LEH has been found as 15.8%; with 15.4% maxillary and 16.2% mandibular teeth being affected with LEH. The paleodontogical examinations, contextual items and the preliminary molecular findings supported the written versions that victims of Ajnala skeletal remains had sound dental health status and probably belonged to adult males who were killed in 1857 as per written versions.