How long do bones take to decompose to dust?

[silver007]

TL;DR Summary

If bones were laid bare in a room at typical room temperatures for say southern Italy, how long would human bones take to decay naturally?

If bones were laid bare in a room at typical room temperatures for say southern Italy, how long would human bones take to decay naturally?

So, not touched, in open air inside a room, and typical weather conditions. Let's assume the doors are closed, but there is no insulation.

 

[phinds]

What research have you done on this so far? What have you found?

 

[silver007]

Thanks. It's a bit of a mess when trying to find something specific and even then there seem to be varying opinions. I was hoping someone knew the best source of information. Many of the research papers I looked at were very specific and not something similar to what I am asking. Thanks

 

[silver007]

This is the type of research and it reports sort of what I stated:

Abstract​

In the medicolegal context, forensic anthropologists assist investigators by gathering information from skeletal remains. While humans decompose in both indoor and outdoor environments, little research has been performed on the differences in the decomposition rate and process between subjects in an indoor environment and subjects in an outdoor environment.

https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/2292/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

As it turns out, bones decay at varying rates, and some do not decay at all!

Bones last longer in dry and arid conditions since microbes cannot survive at high temperatures without water. This is why the iconic image of a skeleton in a desert is morbidly accurate.

https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/s...s-decay-decompose.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

[phinds]

Pretty good start but, yeah, it doesn't address your issue of "how long".

65+ million year old dinosaur bones have been found many many times all over the world, as you probably know, but of course those are in the ground, not in the air.

 

[jim mcnamara]

It is not a "mess" at all. Forensic determinations are made extensively and depend heavily on environment of the remains. Examples : moisture, pH, local flora and fauna (bugs, rodents, fungi, oxygen levels in the medium, and type of medium ( like stagnant pond versus rushing water), sand blown, buried in wet soil ).

For example:
I was a member of a search and rescue team. Got to retrieve what were called "partials" in order to learn protocols. Very time consuming. Coyote leftovers were usually in this class of remains.

PS: please do not link results of AI bots...

https://www.aftermath.com/content/human-decomposition/

 

[silver007]

It is not a "mess" at all. Forensic determinations are made extensively and depend heavily on environment of the remains. Examples : moisture, pH, local flora and fauna (bugs, rodents, fungi, oxygen levels in the medium, and type of medium ( like stagnant pond versus rushing water), sand blown, buried in wet soil ).

For example:
I was a member of a search and rescue team. Got to retrieve what were called "partials" in order to learn protocols. Very time consuming. Coyote leftovers were usually in this class of remains.

PS: please do not link results of AI bots...

https://www.aftermath.com/content/human-decomposition/

Thanks, but I cant see in the link you provided any information related to bones decomposing and turning to dust in a normal room environment. The only reference to bones is:

Stage Four: Skeletonization​

Because the skeleton has a decomposition rate based on the loss of organic (collagen) and inorganic components, there is no set timeframe when skeletonization occurs.

 

[jim mcnamara]

No set timeframe == answer

 

[silver007]

No set time frame

No set timeframe == answer

That's interesting. I'm not sure that the page and one statement they make confirms it as conclusive. I wonder if there are any other sources that people know of. Thanks for your input.