The world experience of studying skeletonized corpses shows that the decision on the question of the corpses` burial remoteness is a rather difficult task that requires a comprehensive approach. Bone remains are usually found accidentally, with different earthworks.

Rarely, their exhumation can be scheduled, for example, if in the inquiry of a crime the investigation has data about the place of corpse`s concealment. Establishing the remoteness of the onset of death on bone remains is closely linked with the terms of skeletalization. The latter ones, in turn, depend on a number of conditions that are related both directly to the state of the human body by the time of its death and to the environment.

Significant contribution to this direction of forensic research was made by Rubizhanskyi, O.F., who, in addition to visual and microscopic study of all exhumed bones (4046 objects), further studied femur bones (25) of corpses with different burial terms, and various (listed above) physically-chemical and morphological composition of soil types.

In order to elaborate objective criteria that occur the changes in bones, considering the above-mentioned conditions the author used: emission spectral analysis for the study of inorganic composition of bone tissue: coloring with reagent sulme-bromphenol blue – to determine the organic (protein) composition of bones; the method of decalcification with ultrasound – to determine the speed of time during which the bone tissue was deprived from salts of calcium.

The article states that in contrast to the corpse`s inspection, an examination of the place of bone remains detection has its own peculiarities. Concerning the remoteness of the corpse`s burial, expert actions can be divided into three stages: 1) review of the area, exhumation and review of elongated bone remains; 2) study of exhumed bones in the laboratory of forensic medical examination; 3) the final stage – an expert assessment of the data obtained, on the basis of which it can be concluded the remoteness of the corpse`s burial.

Key words: criminology, osteology, exhumation, skeletonization.

REFERENCES

1. Butumo, S. V. (1963), “Application of radiocarbon method in archeology”, New methods in archaeological research, Moscow.
2. Lebedinskaya, H. V. (1998), Facial Reconstruction on the Skull, methodical manual, Moscow.
3. Pashkova, V. I. (1963), Essays for Forensic Osteology, Moscow.
4. Rubezhanskyi, А. F. (1963), Some Reasons for the Difference in Bone Changes that Were in the Same Time in Soils that are Similar in Morphological Features, Court med. Expert, № 4, Moscow.
5. Fedosiutkyn, B. А. (2006), Medical Forensics, Rostov-on-Don.
   
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