The PTR accurately estimated the age at death for 84 percent of the skeletal remains from the two cemeteries involved in the study. The application of the PTR method with mummies at a third site (Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore in Italy) found that when a mummy was well-preserved, the absolute error of the estimate of age at death might be even more accurate than the estimate of the age of the living person. Age estimation was precise in eight mummies who were less than 72 years old when they died. The authors conclude that the PTR method can reliably estimate the age of a person who died at an age over 50. The samples came from 3 sites: a cemetery dating back to the early Middle Ages in Siena, Italy, composed of only adult skeletal remains (n=33); a cemetery dating from the 11th and 12th centuries A.D., at Pontessieve, Italy (n=10); and the Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore in Naples, Italy, which dates back to the early 14th century (n=9). For all three sites, the ages of the remains were estimated by evaluating secondary dentine of the upper canines. Radiographs were digitized by a scanner, and images were then recorded in a computer file. Radiograph images of canines were processed by using computer-aided drafting. Twenty points from each tooth edge and 10 points for pulp edge were identified and used to evaluate tooth and pulp areas. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 16 references