Often the question is asked "Why study bones?" A few of the more obvious reasons are listed below.

1. They constitute the evidence for the study of fossil man.
   
2. They are the basis of racial classification in prehistory.
   
3. They are the means of biological comparison of prehistoric peoples with the present living descendents.
   
4. They bear witness to burial patterns and thus give evidence for the culture and world view of the people studied.
   
5. They form the major source of information on ancient diseases and often give clues as to the causes of death.
   
6. Their identification often helps solve forensic cases.

Bones are the framework of the vertebrate body and thus contain much information about man's adaptive mechanisms to his environment. The study of evolution essentially would be impossible if bones were eliminated as a source of data. In summary, the answer is that bones often survive the process of decay and provide the main evidence for the human form after death. Skeletal evidence also has the potential to provide information on prehistoric customs and diseases.

From: "Human Osteology - A laboratory and Field Manual" 3rd Edition, 1987