The disintegration of buried bone is the end result of a complicated series of separate chemical reactions each of which has its own optimal conditions. Bonding between the mineral (apatite) and protein portion of bone is weakened by ground water. Protein degradation involves an unwinding of the helix in conjunction with the breaking of polymer chains through the addition of water. Individual amino acids which compose these chains are then susceptible to changes such as racemization. If protein degradation proceeds far enough, the total protein matrix will be destroyed. Many of the reactions that take place between bone and its postmortem environment are poorly understood. This paper reviews some general information about the chemical processes that occur during the dissolution of buried bone.