Date of Award

Summer 8-2021

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

School

Social Science and Global Studies

Committee Chair

Dr. Marie Elaine Danforth

Committee Chair School

Social Science and Global Studies

Committee Member 2

Dr. H. Edwin Jackson

Committee Member 2 School

Social Science and Global Studies

Committee Member 3

Dr. Bridget Hayden

Committee Member 3 School

Social Science and Global Studies

Abstract

The use of 3D scans is becoming more and more common in the field of bioarchaeology. They alleviate the need to travel, allow for larger sample sizes, and can help preserve bones with pathologies on them which make them more fragile. Though there are major benefits with using 3D scanning of human remains, there is a lack of studies which examine whether or not traditional pathology scoring methods can be used to consistently gather the same data from these 3D scans. This project examines how consistently six researchers of varying experience levels scored porotic hyperostosis from 25 3D scans on three separate days. Intraobserver and interobserver error tests were performed to determine if there were any patterns in the researchers’ scores. In addition, the data for each of the 25 scans were examined to determine if the quality of the scans influenced the consistency of the researchers’ scoring patterns. Though some patterns such as the most experienced researchers having lower levels of intraobserver error did emerge, all six researchers had low consistency scores. This may stem from the use of less severe pathologies in the scans, which made scoring more subtle, and/or the small nature of this study. Additional studies looking at the consistency of scoring pathologies on 3D scans of human remains need to be conducted in order to determine if researchers can consistently gather data from 3D scans.

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