Stereochemical Age Determinations for the Barrow Eskimo Remains

The extent of aspartic acid racemization in a metabolically stable tissue such as tooth dentin can provide the age at death for well preserved human remains. Dentin was separated from teeth extracted from two Eskimo mummies and three other skeletonized Eskimos. Aspartic acid racemization analyses of the dentin samples have yielded ages at death for the five individuals. The amino acid ages for the children's remains (Skeletons 1, 2, 3) are similar to ages estimated from tooth eruption and osteological features by M. R. Zimmerman. Results on the mummified remains of the Northern Body indicate an age of 27 ± 2 years. The Southern Body is calculated to be 41 ± 4 years. This age for the Southern Body is more consistent with histological evidence of lactation (M. R. Zimmerman) and osteon remodeling and morphology of the pubic symphyses (D. D. Thompson and K. S. Cowen) than were original age estimates based on gross morphological features at autopsy.