The estimation of age is essential in the fields of physical and forensic anthropology; therefore the accuracy of these methods needs to be evaluated. Currently, there are multiple methods available for age estimation, including sternal rib end aging, which was specifically evaluated in this research. Three sternal rib aging techniques, Iscan et al. (1984a; 1985), Hartnett-Fulginiti (2007; 2010), and Oettlé and Steyn (2000), were the focus of this study. The main objective was to determine the overall accuracy of each method, as well as examine differences in rates of accuracy between European-Americans and African-Americans. Data was collected from the Hamann-Todd and WM Bass collections. The sample consisted of male and female right fourth sternal rib ends from 411 individuals of both European and African ancestry, ranging in age from 16 to 97 years. Results demonstrate that all three methods perform equally well, although the Hartnett-Fulginiti (2007; 2010) method is a slightly better predictor of age. Because the Oettlé and Steyn (2000) method was designed specifically on individuals of African ancestry from South Africa, it is not recommended for use within the United States. Additionally, due to similarities in accuracy for the Hartnett-Fulginiti (2007; 2010) and Iscan et al. (1984a; 1985) methods, both methods are a valuable age estimation technique in the field of physical anthropology and should be utilized based on level of experience and preference.
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