The Free State Collection for Anthropological Research (FS-CAR): a new contemporary identified skeletal collection in South Africa

Documented skeletal collections are valuable resources for anthropological studies aimed at reconstruction of the biological profile and examination of osteological trauma and pathology. The Free State Collection for Anthropological Research is a new, contemporary skeletal collection, based in central South Africa that has become available for such studies. This paper aims to provide an overview of the collection to encourage its future use in national and international research. The collection currently contains 64 female and 122 male skeletons of individuals that have died in the Free State province since the year 2000. Black individuals constitute 94.6% of the collection. Age-at-death ranges between 19 and 86 years, with an overall mean of 40 years. Year-of-birth ranges from 1927 to 1991. Tuberculosis (22.6%) and influenza/pneumonia (20.4%) are the most common cause of death for these individuals. Although the current demographic profile of the collection is skewed, new individuals are continuously being added. The collection offers several opportunities for anthropological research. The relatively young age-at-death and contemporary nature of the collection make it a useful tool for validation of existing methods for estimations of components of the biological profile. It can also be used in conjunction with other collections for the development of new methods for age and sex estimation and studies of trauma and disease manifestation of the skeleton.