Abstract: Cranial capacity is very important for determination of sex.The traditional technique of measuring cranial capacity is still being used. Firstly, plug the foramina and fissures of theskull. Then pour some mediating substance into the cranial cavity, such as mustard seeds or sandetc. Lastly, measure the capacity by some graduated cylinders. This technique is over laborate,besides, the difference is high; sometimes a difference of some 60ml may ensue. Uspenskii intro-duced a new method for measuring cranial capacity with the aid of water poured into a rubber balloon which has been lowered into the cranial cavity through the foramen magnum. He got ahigh level of accuracy as well as a simple procedure, the greatest difference between individual measurement amounted to 7 ml. Tht defect is that it must be used a pressure gauge, otherwise theballoon can not be fullfilled with water in the cranial cavity. Another question is the ballon iscasily ruptured. Our new method is by weighing the mercury which is poured into a latex balloon in the cranial cavity and recording the room temperature at the same time, then convert10 capacity by computer. 112 adult crania collected from Qingdao and Changchun districts were measured in different times and different temperatures. The results show that the mean error of capacity amounted to 2.27 t0.17(0--7.9) ml. One latex balloon commonly may be used twenty times. Our method is characterized by high level of accuracy in measuring cranial capacily and simplicity of procedure and speed of execution. It must be pointed out that we should take care of the physical protection, although the concentration of the mercury -vapour is far below the permissible density. Besides, we got some regression formulas and picture for estimating the cranial capacity by ten external measurements, such as cranial circumference, median sagittalarc of calvarium, auricular height, cranial height(ba-b) etc. The R -value and r-value on above f ormulas amount to 0.760.898. The mean difference between the estimation by 3 to 5 external measurents and measuring method by mercury is 50--55 ml, another words, the mean error is3.5%--3.9% of cranial capacity. The minimum error is just 0.1ml, and the maximum error is228.7 ml.

Key words: Craniometry; Methodology; Cranial capacity; Regression analysis; Modern Chinese