ABSTRACT
A component of forensic skeletal analysis is to identify various postmortem modifications and to reconstruct the depositional history of the remains. Describing any color changes associated with bones is important to this process, as it may provide clues when reconstructing the post-depositional environment of skeletal remains. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the common types of taphonomic bone stains and color changes and discuss the causative agents for those stains. The aim of this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive list of every example of stain that has been discussed in the literature but rather to highlight examples of bone staining such as organic, metal, and soil, which are more commonly encountered by the forensic anthropologist.
