本文以山东地区6处考古遗址出土的18例古代居民的骨化甲状软骨为研究材料，结合现代医学和法医学的研究，通过对甲状软骨骨化情况的观察分析以及部分数据测量，发现古代居民中骨化甲状软骨多保存骨板下缘、下结节以及上下角，而且骨化甲状软骨对古代居民性别和年龄的判断有一定指示作用。甲状软骨在骨化程度、进展速度以及骨化机制上存在性别差异，古代居民中男性比女性更容易保存骨化甲状软骨，且男性多见保存联合部中下段，女性并无个体保存联合部。另外在本文的骨化甲状软骨的两项测量数据上，男性明显大于女性。甲状软骨的骨化个体间差异很大，单独使用甲状软骨骨化规律进行年龄判断并不可取，但可作为一种参考依据来辅助判断。值得注意的是，保存有骨化甲状软骨且年龄明确的古代居民皆大于30岁。

Thyroid cartilage, as the largest laryngeal cartilage, is occasionally found in ancient human bone materials from archaeological sites after ossification, and has a certain indicative role in judging the sex and age of ancient residents. This paper is a study of 18 individual cases of ossified thyroid cartilage discovered from the ancient human bones excavated from six archaeological sites in Shandong province combining with modern medicine and forensic medicine. The 18 individuals spanned four dynasties from the Shang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, and 1 case belongs to the Shang Dynasty, 10 cases to the Han Dynasty, 1 case to the Ming Dynasty, and 6 cases to the Qing Dynasty. Among the 18 individuals, 14 cases were males, 3 cases were females, and 1 case could not be identified for sex. Among the 17 cases with certain age, 15 cases were the age range of 35~50 years, 1 case was around 30 years old, and 1 case was older than 60 years old.

The ossified thyroid cartilage in ancient human bone material is mostly found in the middle, lower edge, posterior edge, superior and inferior horn. These parts are early and highly ossified and are easier to preserve. Excluding acquired defects, individual ossification of the right and left lateral thyroid cartilage was preserved in a symmetrical pattern. There is a gender difference in the way and the size thyroid cartilage is ossified. In males, the anterior horn of the thyroid cartilage is preserved, most commonly at the lower end of the anterior horn, and the male protruding "laryngeal node" can be observed in the fully ossified anterior horn. In females, the anterior horn was generally absent, with incomplete ossification of the middle part of the bone plate, and the measurement of the inferior margin was significantly smaller than that in males.

Eighteen individuals had only partially ossified thyroid cartilage, and none of them had completely ossified thyroid cartilage. Even the better preserved individual M195 of Xinzhi cemetery still has unossified areas at the posterior edge of the right plate. The ossification pattern of thyroid cartilage varies significantly among individuals. Although the ossification of thyroid cartilage correlates with age, it has a very low accuracy when used for identification. The results of age estimation using thyroid cartilage are older than that using bioarchaeology. It is not advisable to independently use the ossification of thyroid cartilage as a standard for age judgment. Still, it can be used as a reference basis to assist in age estimation. Among the 18 ancient residents, all individuals with a certain age were older than 30 years old.