Évaluation de la fiabilité interobservateurs pour soutenir la disponibilité des données dans les mesures ostéométriques de la collection Olivier - 2026
analyse of variance; Inter-observer reliability; measurements; Olivier collection; osteometry; technical error of measurement; Archeology (arts and humanities); Cultural Studies; Anthropology; Archeology
Abstract :
[en] The field of anthropometry is crucial in developing methods for reconstructing the biological profile of skeletal remains. Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of osteometric data is therefore essential for methodological validation. This study assesses the repeatability and interobserver reliability of skeletal measurements collected for the publication of the Olivier Collection. Four observers recorded 42 linear variables (11 cranial and 31 postcranial) on 40 randomly selected skeletons. Inter-observer variation was evaluated through Student’s t-tests, Cohen’s d, repeatedmeasures ANOVAs, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and both absolute and relative technical errors of measurement (TEM, rTEM). Additionally, a new hierarchical linear model method was used to partition measurement variance into components attributable to subjects, systematic and random measurement error or systematic effects associated with sex. Significant systematic measurement effects (p<0.05) were identified for 30 of 42 variables, particularly in cranial traits and femur/tibia diameters (explained variance 0.190.37). Systematic sex-related effects were detected for 11 variables, suggesting that observer variability may interact with sexual dimorphism. Nevertheless, random measurement error accounted for the largest proportion of total variance (typically 0.75-0.97), and ICCs above 0.8 confirmed high overall reliability. Together, these results show that measurement variability in osteometry arises from both systematic and random components, with more marked observer-dependent effects in the case of complex or morphologically variable traits. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of interobserver reliability and measurement error, establishing the methodological soundness of the Olivier Collection dataset and supporting its future use as a validated reference resource for osteometric and forensic research.
Villotte, Sébastien ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences historiques ; UMR 7206 Eco-anthropologie (EA), MNHN, CNRS, Université de Paris, musée de l’Homme Paris, France ; Quaternary environments & Humans, OD Earth and History of life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
Language :
French
Title :
Évaluation de la fiabilité interobservateurs pour soutenir la disponibilité des données dans les mesures ostéométriques de la collection Olivier
Publication date :
2026
Journal title :
Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'Anthropologie de Paris
ISSN :
0037-8984
eISSN :
1777-5469
Publisher :
Societe d'Anthropologie de Paris
Volume :
38
Issue :
1
Pages :
28 - 40
Peer reviewed :
Peer reviewed
Funding text :
We would like to thank the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) in Paris for facilitating access to the Olivier collection. Furthermore, we would like to express our gratitude to all the members of the BARBUS project.
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