Ancestry assessment represents a major component of forensic anthropological analysis ofrecovered human remains. Interpretations of ancestry, together with other aspects of the biological profile, can help narrow the search of missing persons and contribute to eventual positive identification. Such information can prove useful to authorities involved in the iden-tification and investigative process since many lists of missing persons have a reference tothis parameter. Recent research has strengthened available methodologies involving metric, non-metric morphological as well as chemical and genetic approaches. This review addressesthe new anthropological techniques that are now available, as well as the complex historical context related to ancestry evaluation.