What is Forensic Anthropology?

Anthropology is the scientific study of humankind and humanity as well as all aspects related to them, including human behavior and biology, culture, societies, and linguistics. Anthropologists study these both in the context of the past and the present. There are different types of anthropology, including:

Forensic Anthropology is not a study but rather the application of anthropological knowledge in a legal setting. Forensic anthropologists use osteology, including skeletal anatomy and biology, to identify severely broken down skeletal remains and recover them with the help of archaeological techniques. Broken down remains include those that have decomposed, were burned or mutilated, etc.   Osteology is considered a subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, and paleontology, and is particularly important for forensic anthropologists. Human osteology is the scientific study of bones and other skeletal elements. Osteologists work both in the public and private sectors as researchers, consultants, and medical investigators.   If you are a researcher or student in the field of forensic anthropology, you could be working on your latest paper and need some help. If you have ever thought, “How can I pay someone to write my paper?” then you can even hire a professional writer who will assist you in your research and then while writing your paper.

Where do Forensic Anthropologists work?

Forensic anthropologists in the US are largely university and college professors working on arriving casework. Like osteologists, they can be consultants at the various city-, state-, and federal-level government institutions. Likewise, they can work in government labs and in medical examiners’ offices.   Forensic anthropologists play a key role in the investigational and documentation of genocide and mass graves. They often work with other forensic specialists such as pathologists, dentists, and homicide investigators. They can even testify in court as expert witnesses.   Forensic anthropologists are able to use the physical characteristics of the skeleton to determine such things as the individual’s age, gender, race, and stature among others. Similarly, specialists in forensic anthropology also use skeletal abnormalities to determine the cause of death and past diseases or traumas. The field of forensic anthropology developed in the 20th century and eventually became a widely recognized specialty. Trained and experienced anthropologists comprised the field while research institutions were gradually entering it as well. These institutions gathered valuable data on decomposition and its effects on the skeleton and performed research in forensic anthropology.

Is there really a “body farm”?

Indeed, there is the so-called “body farm” which is an outdoor field laboratory that investigates postmodern change. This lab is called the Anthropological Research Facility which is operated by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Because the term “body farm” is quite disrespectful, the University has been trying to distance the laboratory from it. The Research Facility was founded in 1972 by Dr. William Bass and has been carrying out research in forensic science.