Related Experiment Videos
Cremation weights in east Tennessee.
William M Bass1, Richard L Jantz
1Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0720, USA.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|October 6, 2004
Summary
Cremated remains weigh approximately 1000 g more in males than females, with both sexes losing weight with age. East Tennessee cremation weights are higher than those from Florida and California studies.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Anthropology
- Human Osteology
Background:
- Limited data exists on the weight of cremated human remains (cremains).
- Understanding cremains weight is crucial given the increasing number of cremations in the U.S.
Purpose of the Study:
- To contribute to the limited literature on cremains weights.
- To investigate variations in cremains weight based on demographic factors.
Main Methods:
- Collected weights of cremated remains from 151 males and 155 females at the East Tennessee Crematorium.
- Recorded age, sex, and race for each individual.
- Compared findings with previous studies from Florida, Southern California, and anatomical skeleton ash weights.
Main Results:
- Males had cremains weighing approximately 1000 g more than females.
- Both sexes exhibited a decrease in cremains weight with age, with females losing weight at roughly twice the rate of males.
- East Tennessee cremains were about 500 g heavier than those from Florida and California samples, and comparable to earlier anatomical skeleton studies.
Conclusions:
- Significant differences in cremains weight exist between sexes and change with age.
- Hypothesized that variations in cremains weight are influenced by original body weight and activity levels.
- Emphasized the importance of considering this variation in contexts involving cremation weights.