FOR5018 - Elements of forensic anthropology

Forensic anthropology is the field of study concerned with the examination of material believed to be human to answer medico-legal questions including those related to identification.

The aim of the Elements of Forensic Anthropology unit is to introduce students to the theory and practice of forensic anthropology and provide them with a thorough understanding of the various contributions this discipline makes to forensic investigations.

Although the unit is designed for medical practitioners and practicing dentists, it is likely to be of interest to post-graduate students from a Science and/or Arts background who wish to gain a greater understanding of the types of evidentiary and investigative information that can be obtained when only skeletal remains survive.

The unit will cover:

• Human skeletal and dental anatomy;
• Preparing and analysing differentially preserved skeletal remains;
• Forensic anthropology: identification and analysis of differentially preserved human remains;
• Developing a biological profile: ancestry, sex, age and stature;
• Introduction to the analysis of skeletal trauma;
• The use of forensic anthropology in different cases (domestic cases, disaster victim identification (DVI), human rights investigations);
• Working with other forensic experts: forensic pathologists, forensic odontologists, molecular biologists, etc;
• Forensic anthropology report writing; and
• Cultural and religious issues related to dealing with dead bodies and exhumations.