An osteometric and 3D analysis of the atlanto-occipital joint: An initial screening method to exclude crania and atlases in commingled remains.

The re-association of cranium to atlas proved to be challenging and hardly possible when considering only metric variables. However, the 3D geometry of the articular surfaces represents a valid variable for this purpose and 3D analyses pave the way for an initial exclusion of incorrect re-associations, thus should not be considered as a re-association method per se, but as an exclusionary screening technique.