Age estimation based on the metamorphosis of the clavicle end: A test of Falys and Prangle method in two contemporary samples

•Clavicle’s medial epiphysis is the last epiphysis, among long bone epiphysis that calcifies.•This is a test study of Falys and Prangle method (2015).•Surface topography (TOP), Porosity (POR) and Osteophyte formation (OST) are examined in the sternal end of the clavicle.•174 individuals from two contemporary samples, one from Greece and one from Thailand were examined.•Results of this study indicate that there are morphological features on the clavicle that are highly correlated with age. Upon finding skeletal unidentified remains, four are the questions that must be answered: age, sex, ancestry, and stature. Regarding age estimation, clavicle has received special attention because medial epiphysis is the last epiphysis, among long bones that ossifies. Falys and Prangle proposed a method of age estimation based on three degenerative characteristics-surface topography (TOP), Porosity (POR) and Osteophyte formation (OST)-evaluated on the sternal end of the clavicle according to the descriptions and the illustrations provided in the original article producing satisfactory results. The current study aims to test the applicability of the Falys’ and Prangle’s method on 174 individuals from two contemporary samples, one from Greece (Cretan osteological Collection and Athens Forensic Anthropology Lab collection) and one from Thailand (Osteological collection in Chiang Mai). Composite scores were calculated, inter and intra- observer error were estimated by kappa statistics and regression equations of the original study were tested in our sample and in subsamples divided by sex and population. The Greek sample gave more accurate estimates compared to the Thai sample. Regressions of known sex gave slightly better results in most cases. When individuals