Methods: Twenty-seven rabbit carcasses were divided into: (i) No Clothing; (ii) Thick Clothing and (iii) Plastic Wrapping groups, and buried into individual shallow graves. One subject was exhumed from first to ninth post-burial week and assessed by using TBS system.
Results and Discussion: There are significant differences among TBS between different coverings while controlling the time factor, F (2, 23) = 4.80, P < 0.05, partial η 2 = 0.294. TBS score for Plastic Wrapping group is significantly lower than No Clothing group over times at α = 0.05, P < 0.05. The slightly delaying effect of thick clothing is caused by design of jacket, which allows arthropods access and microbial activity. Relatively strong delaying effect by plastic covering could be caused by impermeable property that caused accumulation of decompositional products and slow down the degradation.
Conclusion: In conclusion, TBS system is a potential tool in describing rate of decomposition for buried cases in Malaysia.