When human fossils are discovered during excavations at archaeological digs...?

Question

How do they determine their age?

Answer 1

If you mean how old the person was when he/she died, they do that through several methods--they examine the wear of the bones and teeth. The bones of the skull fuse as you get older, as do some of the parts of the pelvic girdle. And the teeth get worn down rather dramatically (which doesn't happen anymore since the food we eat is so much more processed, and we've got knives and such).

If you mean how they determine how many years ago the person lived, then they can use carbon-14 dating, and/or date the strata where the body was found.

Answer 2

If the remains are under 40,000 years old, they use carbon 14 dating, Any older and they date the sediments it's buried in, or use thermo luminescence on associated pottery and stone tools.